DOZENS of protesters were arrested on Monday night at an encampment in New York City as tensions on student campuses grew.
Hundreds of students and faculty members gathered at New York University’s Gould Plaza early in the morning after creating a “Gaza Solidarity Encampment” to host a Pro-Palestine protest.
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Clad in riot gear, police officers were present, warning protesters to leave the area or face possible arrest.
NYU officials also warned protesters to clear the plaza by 4 pm or face consequences.
“With the breach of the barricades early this afternoon, that requirement was violated, and we witnessed disorderly, disruptive and antagonizing behavior that has interfered with the safety and security of our community,” Campus Safety Department head Fountain Walker told the crowd of protesters.
“If you leave now, no one will face any consequences for today’s actions — no discipline, no police.”
However, the crowds only grew larger, said officials.
“This development dramatically changed the situation,” said NYU spokesperson John Beckman in a statement.
“We witnessed disorderly, disruptive, and antagonizing behavior that has interfered with the safety and security of our community, and that demonstrated how quickly a demonstration can get out of control or people can get hurt.”
Pro-Palestinian students have demanded their schools condemn military action in Gaza by Israel and divest from companies that sell weapons to the country.
However, some Jewish students have said much of the criticism against Israel has led to antisemitism, making them feel unsafe on campus.
Campus gates were locked on Monday barring anyone without an ID to enter.
PROTESTERS ‘ARRESTED’
Police lined up at the back of Gould Plaza in riot gear and detained protesters who disregarded their warnings.
Video at the scene showed dozens of people in cuffs while escorted away by the New York City Police Department.
The remaining protesters reportedly formed a circle around the tents to stop the NYPD from taking down the encampment.
Another video appeared to show protesters standing in an intersection to stop an NYPD bus from moving.
The bus reportedly held arrested protesters.
NYPD Deputy Commissioner Kaz Daughtry said the force had been asked by NYU earlier in the day to “clear Gould Plaza of individuals who were refusing to comply with repeated requests to disperse.”
“Our officers responded to the location without delay and dispersed the crowd — making numerous arrests, as necessary,” he wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Monday night.
“There is a pattern of behavior occurring on campuses across our nation, in which individuals attempt to occupy a space in defiance of school policy.
“Rest assured, in NYC the NYPD stands ready to address these prohibited and subsequently illegal actions whenever we are called upon.”
OTHER SCHOOLS FOLLOW SUIT
It came hours after Columbia University canceled in-person classes as the protests reached Day Five.
University President Minouche Shafik said she was “deeply saddened” by the protests in a message to the school.
“To deescalate the rancor and give us all a chance to consider next steps, I am announcing that all classes will be held virtually on Monday,” Shafik wrote.
Meanwhile, Robert Kraft, who owns the New England Patriots football team and has funded the Kraft Center for Jewish Student Life said he would suspend donations to the university.
“I am no longer confident that Columbia can protect its students and staff and I am not comfortable supporting the university until corrective action is taken,” he said in a statement.
He later warned in an interview that we cannot “let the hate continue to grow and multiply the way it is.”
At Yale University in Connecticut, hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters blocked an intersection outside of the Schwarzmann Center.
A spokesperson for police in New Haven said about 45 protesters were arrested at Yale on Monday morning and charged with misdemeanor trespassing.
All were released and are expected to be in court at a later date.
Protests also sprang up at California Polytechnic State University after students occupied a building on campus.
In-person classes are canceled until April 24 due to safety concerns as officials are urging students to peacefully leave Siemens Hall, an academic and administrative building, per Lost Coast Outpost.
Protests have ignited across college campuses since the deadly attack by Hamas on October 7 in Israel.
About 1,200 people were killed, mostly civilians, and around 250 people were taken hostage.
In response, more than 34,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip.
The U.S. Sun has reached out to the NYPD for comment.
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