Campus Crackdown: 300+ Arrested in Police Raids on Columbia & CCNY to Clear Gaza Encampments
Summary
TLDRA significant event unfolded at Columbia University and City University of New York (CUNY) where hundreds of students were arrested following the dismantling of a Gaza solidarity encampment by police in full riot gear. The encampment, set up two weeks prior, had inspired similar movements across over 40 universities nationwide. Columbia University President, Manu shafik, requested the police intervention, citing the encampment as a threat to property and university operations. In response to the raid, students and faculty expressed their support for the Palestinian cause, with some faculty members and students facing suspension. The incident has heightened tensions on campus, with some calling for the resignation of President shafik and criticizing the administration's handling of the situation. The narrative emphasizes the distinction between anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism, highlighting the Jewish support for the Palestinian cause and the challenges faced by pro-Palestine voices on campus.
Takeaways
- 📚 Hundreds of students at Columbia University and City University of New York (CUNY) were arrested after police in riot gear dispersed a Gaza solidarity encampment.
- 🛡️ Police used force to clear Hamilton Hall at Columbia, where students had renamed the building in honor of a young Palestinian girl killed in Gaza.
- 💌 Columbia University President, Manu shafik, requested the New York City Police Department to clear the encampment, citing it as a danger to persons and property.
- 📅 President shafik asked for police presence on campus until after graduation to prevent reestablishment of solidarity encampments.
- 🚨 At City College of New York, a similar Gaza solidarity encampment was raided by police, leading to numerous arrests.
- 📍 The police action at Columbia was efficient and swift, with a focus on limiting eyewitnesses and press coverage of the arrests.
- 🌐 Over 40 universities across the U.S. have set up similar solidarity encampments, inspired by the one at Columbia.
- 🤝 Jewish Voice for Peace, including Jewish students, participated in the protests, highlighting the distinction between anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism.
- 🚨 There were reports of police using tasers, smoke bombs, and aggressive tactics against peaceful protesters.
- 🏛️ Columbia students faced suspension for their participation in the protests, with some already having been suspended by the university.
- 📉 The incident has led to a loss of confidence in the university administration, with calls for the president's resignation and a no-confidence vote by the faculty.
Q & A
What was the reason for the police raid at Columbia University?
-The police raid at Columbia University was conducted to break up a Gaza solidarity encampment set up almost two weeks prior, which Columbia University President Manu shafik deemed as posing a clear and present danger to persons, property, and the functioning of the university.
How did the students at Columbia University respond to the police raid?
-The students at Columbia University, including those from the Jewish Voice for Peace, resisted the police raid, with some facing suspension. They claimed that the police used aggressive and violent tactics against peaceful protesters.
What was the role of the faculty during the police raid?
-While there was widespread faculty support for the students' opinions towards the administration, there was no substantial faculty presence observed trying to interpose themselves between the students and the police during the raid.
Why did the students rename Hamilton Hall to 'Hin Hall'?
-The students renamed Hamilton Hall to 'Hin Hall' in honor of Hin Hind Rajab, a six-year-old Palestinian girl killed by the Israeli military in Gaza.
What was the reaction of the New York City Police Department to the Gaza solidarity encampment?
-The New York City Police Department, in full riot gear, raided the encampment, arresting hundreds of students and using force that included pushing people into buildings, using tasers, and deploying a smoke bomb.
What was the context of the protests and encampments across universities?
-The protests and encampments were part of a larger movement showing solidarity with Gaza, inspired by an initial encampment at Columbia University, which led to over 40 similar encampments across universities in the country.
How did the City College of New York administration respond to the Gaza solidarity encampment?
-The City College of New York administration, similar to Columbia University, called for the police to enter the campus and raid the Gaza solidarity encampment, resulting in numerous arrests.
What was the role of the media and journalism students during the police raid?
-The media and journalism students were warned by the police that they would be arrested if they did not stay inside. Some were able to witness the events from the journalism school overlooking the raid, but they were prevented from being eyewitnesses to the arrests.
What was the impact of the police raid on the campus community?
-The police raid led to a significant disruption on campus, with the arrest of over 230 students and their allies at Columbia University alone. It also resulted in a loss of trust and an increased sense of anger and disappointment towards the administration.
What was the reason for the police's removal of the Palestinian flag at City College of New York?
-The police removed the Palestinian flag from the flagpole and replaced it with the American flag as part of their action to take control over the Gaza solidarity encampment at the City College of New York.
What actions did Columbia University take following the police raid?
-Columbia University President Manu shafik requested the police to maintain a presence on campus through at least May 17th to ensure that the solidarity encampments were not reestablished.
What was the broader implication of the protests and police response on the perception of student activism?
-The protests and the subsequent police response highlighted the tension between student activism and administrative authority, with students asserting their rights to protest and the administration seeking to maintain control and order.
Outlines
🚨 Police Raid on Gaza Solidarity Encampment at Columbia University
A police raid on a Gaza solidarity encampment at Columbia University led to the arrest of hundreds of students. The encampment, established two weeks prior, had inspired similar actions across over 40 universities. Columbia's president, Manu shafik, requested the NYPD to clear the encampment in Hamilton Hall, citing danger to property and university functioning. The police action involved riot gear and shields, and officers entered the campus through the main gates. The incident occurred shortly after students took over Hamilton Hall in support of the Gaza solidarity cause, renaming the building 'Hin Hall' in honor of a young Palestinian girl killed by Israeli forces. The police also removed a Palestinian flag from a flagpole and raised the American flag in its place. The situation extended to the City College of New York, where a similar raid took place, resulting in numerous arrests.
🗣️ Voices from the Protest: Solidarity and Resistance
Interviews with protesters and supporters outside Columbia University highlighted a diverse group of individuals standing in solidarity with the Palestinian cause. Among them were first-generation Korean-Americans, Iranian organizers, and alumni from various universities. They expressed their opposition to settler colonialism and the importance of collective liberation. The narrative also included a first-hand account of the police raid, with descriptions of the arrest process, the removal of eyewitnesses, and the aggressive tactics used by the police. The role of faculty was also discussed, with some faculty members supporting the student protests and condemning the administration's actions.
🏛️ University Administration and Police Response to Protests
The response of Columbia University's administration and the police to the protests was a focal point of this paragraph. It detailed the university's decision to call in the police to clear the encampment and the subsequent actions taken by law enforcement. Students and journalists were pushed out of the area, preventing them from witnessing the arrests. There was also mention of an emergency alert issued to students, warning them of a potential police action. The narrative included accounts of police using force, including tasers and smoke bombs, against peaceful protesters. Concerns were raised about the suspension of students participating in the protests and the administration's stance on suppressing student activism.
🤔 Political and Social Reactions to the University Protests
This section discussed the broader political and social reactions to the protests at Columbia University. It included criticism from political figures, such as Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson, who called for the use of the National Guard to restore order and for the resignation of Columbia's president, Manu shafik. The narrative also highlighted the distinction between anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism, with a Jewish student from Jewish Voice for Peace emphasizing the importance of recognizing the difference. The student shared experiences of harassment and intimidation faced by pro-Palestinian protesters on campus. The paragraph concluded with reflections on the impact of the police presence on campus and the administration's decision to maintain it through the graduation period.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Solidarity Encampment
💡Riot Gear
💡Hamilton Hall
💡Palestinian Flag
💡Arrests
💡Settler Colonialism
💡Pro-Palestinian
💡Doxxing
💡Divestment
💡Police Brutality
💡No Confidence Vote
Highlights
Hundreds of students at Columbia University and City University of New York were arrested after police officers in riot gear raided the campus to break up a Gaza solidarity encampment.
The encampment at Columbia was set up almost two weeks prior and inspired similar encampments at over 40 universities across the country.
Columbia students took over Hamilton Hall and renamed it in honor of a six-year-old Palestinian girl killed by the Israeli military in Gaza.
Columbia University President Manu shafik sent a letter to the NYPD requesting the encampment be cleared, citing it as a danger to persons and property.
President shafik asked for police presence on campus until after graduation to prevent reestablishment of solidarity encampments.
At City College of New York, police in riot gear also raided the Gaza solidarity encampment following a call from the administration.
Over 1,000 students and others have been arrested in similar peaceful Gaza solidarity encampments across the country in the past two weeks.
Amy Goodman from Democracy Now reported live from the scene, describing the situation and the police's establishment of a 'Frozen Zone'.
Interviews with protesters revealed a diverse group of supporters, including first-generation Korean-Americans and Iranian organizers.
A Brown University alum spoke out about the situation, highlighting the importance of supporting Palestinian voices and the recent divestment vote at Brown.
Columbia student Cameron Jones, a member of Jewish Voice for Peace, discussed the aggressive police tactics used against peaceful protesters.
Jones also mentioned the conflation of anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism, emphasizing the importance of distinguishing between the two.
Columbia Journalism School student Julian Goodman described the police's efficiency in removing eyewitnesses, including legal observers, from the scene.
Goodman also noted the overwhelming support from students for the encampment and the false narrative of outside agitators being pushed by the administration.
President shafik's decision to maintain a police presence on campus until after graduation has led to disappointment and anger among the student body.
The police were seen removing the encampment and disposing of community guidelines, symbolizing the impact of their presence on campus.
Transcripts
hundreds of students at Colombia
University and City University of New
York were arrested last night after
hundreds of police officers carrying
Shields and in full riot gear raided
Colombia to break up a Gaza solidarity
encampment set up almost two weeks ago
that has inspired similar encampments in
over 40 universities across the country
including CUNY students at Colombia took
over Hamilton Hall a day earlier after
the school began spending students who
refused to leave the gaala solidarity
encampment students renamed the building
hin Hall in honor of hin hind rajab a
six-year-old Palestinian girl killed by
the Israeli military in Gaza the police
raid began after Columbia University
president Manu shafik sent a letter to
the New York City Police Department
calling for the encampment in Hamilton
Hall to be cleared she wrote quote I
have determined that the building
occupation the encampments and related
disruptions pose a clear and present
danger to person's property and the
substantial functioning of the
University unquote President shafik also
asked the police to remain presence on
campus until at least May 17th two days
after graduation to ensure she said that
solidarity encampments are not
reestablished Columbia's graduation is
scheduled for May 15th hundreds of
officers enter the camp campus through
the main gates and encircled the
encampment inside last night police also
pulled a truck outside Hamilton Hall
extended a ladder to a secondstory
window for a stream of officers to climb
into the building further Uptown from
Colombia at the City College of New York
police and riot gear raided the Gaza
solidarity encampment after the
administration made a similar call for
the police to enter campus scores of
students and cuni community members were
arrested overnight the department shared
a video on social media showing officers
lowering a Palestinian flag a top The
City college flag pole balling it up and
throwing it to the ground before raising
the American
flag over the past two weeks police have
swept through other campuses holding
peaceful Gaza solidarity encampments
across the country over 1,00 students
and others have been arrested in a
moment we'll be joined by two Columbia
University students who were on campus
during the police raid but the first
democracy Now was on the streets last
night outside
Columbia I'm Amy Goodman from democracy
now we're standing at 13th in Broadway
it's about 10:30 at night the riot
police have lined up here and it is a
complete Frozen Zone from here up to
Columbia University we understand that
they've moved in on Hamilton Hall that
the students have occupied and we
understand arrests are underway that we
haven't seen it there was a group of
protesters here but they say they're
going to do uh jail support they're
going down to One Police Plaza let's see
if we can find them and ask them why
they're out
here what's your name I'm jeie uh I am
an organizer with Warriors in the garden
I am first generation
korean-american I am a shamed alumni of
NYU uh we are out here as people whose
ethnic Roots originate in the global
South uh to stand against settler
colonialism because no matter how it
looks in every form it kills and we will
not be complicit anymore and this is a
very historic moment where our our youth
in our country are leading the
Revolution and it is all of our
responsibilities to not put that to not
to not just be like oh they're so brave
but to be in to have that inight
something within
us my name is Tom uh I'm an organizer
and I'm here to show support for the
students I think that uh I've been a
I've been Pro Palestinian my whole life
as is my family um I'm Iranian and we
have always found the liberation of
Palestinian people to be essential to
our Liberation as Iranians and
everybody's you know Collective
Liberation are you in R are
you get out the way get out
[Applause]
theeeee free free pal we're standing at
Amsterdam and 113th Street it's about
10:30 11 at night why are you here uh so
I'm a Brown University Alum and uh as
you know one of our own Hisham atini was
shot and also I have a Palestinian
friend who told me that uh for his for
speaking out on Palestine he's been
doxed I mean and he's been kicked off
campus he's lost his housing and food
and he has no family here but he feels
the need to speak on it because his
cousins and family members are under the
rubble right now and he can't reach a
lot of his cousins and so knowing that
you know uh there's not a lot of degree
of separation between Hisham and I and
our other colleague that also lost
family members and has been dxed and
kicked off campus this is the least that
we can do to support our friends is this
why you're wearing a mask even though
we're outside absolutely and we're not
wearing a mask because we're scared but
we're doing this because this is what
our predecessors have told us this is
the right way to protest and this is
what we need to do to protect ourselves
while also speaking and standing up for
what's what's true so I understand
there's an encampment at Brown too and
there's a slogan from Colombia to Brown
we won't let Gaza down have you heard
the latest from there uh so today
actually Brown University passed a
resolution uh
to uh in order to compromise with the
students encampments that they're going
to vote in October on divestment so I
think that's a big victory for the
student encampments for the 41 students
who are arrested and also for the
students who were doing the hunger
strike uh as you may know so yeah the
the vote the agreeing to vote on this
investment is a big step for the student
organizers and they're very proud of it
and I think that's the least we can do
as Alum to support
[Applause]
them we've just spoken to some people
who are supporting the students now the
bus of Arrested students is coming
through are these the the buses are
coming out please back up these are the
arrested students please back up are
they bus I'm not sure what who's in the
buses I know the buses are leaving
please back up
[Applause]
[Music]
okay there's look seems to be an arrest
right now the police have moved in and
they're on top of someone the police
have arrested someone people are
shouting shame he's on the
[Applause]
ground back back up back up back up
let's go move move move back up back up
back up
what's your name what's your name over
230 students and their allies were
arrested at Columbia University last
night when the Colombia president okay
the presence of the New York police
department and their raid of the
University uh dozens of others were
arested just 20 mile 20 blocks north at
city college for more on the police raid
at Colombia we're joined by two guests
Cameron Jones is a Columbia student with
Jewish voice for peace he was outside
Hamilton Hall when police pushed
everyone into nearby buildings and storm
the Hall Cameron is a 19-year-old Urban
Studies major he's joining us here in
studio and Julian Goodman is with us a
student at Columbia journalism School
covering Colombia's ongoing student
protest since the first days of the
encampments she joins us via video
stream we welcome you both to democracy
now uh Jillian Goodman relation that we
know of um Jullian why don't you
describe what happened on campus I mean
what's really fascinating here is the
Columbia J School the journalism School
overlooks the police raid and in fact uh
Columbia journalism students and other
students who were um covering this event
were told by police they'd be arrested
if they didn't stay
inside Julian thanks so much for joining
us absolutely happy to be here um that's
correct Amy and in fact the only reason
that we were able to have access to
campus many of us in the journalism
school is that we had slept in the
building the night before they had
restricted campus to only those students
in residential dorms so the only reason
we were able to witness what we were
able to witness is because we had stayed
in the building um when police arrived
they were extremely efficient in
removing all eyewitnesses including
legal observers um myself and my
colleagues at the journalism School were
pushed with police batons to our backs
and coralled out of the space uh so we
were not able to witness the arrests
headon but some journalism students were
able to remain in the building to
overlook the side of Hamilton Hall but
they were extremely clear and efficient
that they were not to have any
eyewitnesses including the majority of
press during the time that the arrests
were
made and Julian was there any warning
beforehand or any sense that the that
the arrests were
coming there had been a sense for a few
hours as police gathered outside I would
say that no one knew the exact moment
they were going to come in but we knew
pretty clearly within about a 30 minute
window I think there was a tremendous
sense of trepidation but also resolve on
campus that I saw from a lot of the
organizers um we were also served an
emergency alert from Emergency
Management that went throughout to all
Columbia students um issuing a shelter
in place warning in the hour before the
arrests happened and so most students
were coralled into their dorm by campus
safety and that was our tell that the
that the arrests were
imminent we're also joined by Cameron
Jones of Jewish voices for peace Cameron
what did you see uh last night yeah so I
was also one of the students who was
forced into a nearby building once the
police survived on the scene and it was
very clear that the university and the
police did not want any witnesses to the
police brutality that was going to take
place they even pushed Medics and legal
observers into nearby buildings
preventing them from doing their jobs
and then we got a slew of footage from
onlookers that protesters were pushed
and shoved individuals were thrown
downstairs one individual was left uncon
conscious for a few minutes there was
also the police using tasers on Peaceful
protesters and also using a smoke bomb
inside occupied hind Hall so it's very
clear that the police used very
aggressive and very violent tactics to
suppress peaceful
protesters and what about you you were
outside you didn't occupy Hamilton Hall
you were at the encampment do you face
suspension as of now I am not sure what
the university will do unfortunately the
university has arbitrarily suspended
dozens of students already so I would
not be surprised if I do end up facing
suspension unfortunately the response of
the students to the president although
on Friday saying she would not call New
York police on campus calling in those
police who raided Hamilton Hall last
night yeah so the president is
definitely acting in bad faith I would
say she really seems to be doing
anything in her power to suppress
student activism on campus and that
includes bringing in violent police to
violently arrest hundreds of people and
it really appears as though the
president has not learned her lesson
from arresting people a few weeks ago
because the students only come back with
more Fury and with more intensity in
regards to our
activism Cameron I wanted to ask you
about the role of the faculty many of
the faculty condemned the last raid uh
or the first raid that occurred a couple
of weeks ago uh were there faculty out
there trying to interpose themselves
between the students s the police this
time I did not see a substantial faculty
presence but we have had faculty very
present at the encampment acting at
security and we have widespread faculty
support in terms of our opinions towards
the administration faculty is on our
side in condemning what the
administration has been doing and Julian
Goodman uh you have both the president
shafik and New York city mayor uh Adams
Painting the Takeover of Hamilton Hall
as a takeover by outside agitators what
was your sense of who was inside
Hamilton
Hall yes so I was there the the night
that the occupation occurred um there's
no way to know exactly who was involved
but I I know firsthand that there is a
large student presence and also the
thing that surprised me the most was a
massive student support outside there
was a human chain linked arm and arm to
protect the building that was 200
students strong and those are people
that I know to be students of Columbia
and Barnard and a large majority so I
think that mostly this is an effort by
Administration to distance these actions
from the students though I know that
they are deeply resolved in in support
let me ask Cameron Jones H Columbia
student has sued Colombia um for
creating a hostile environment against
Jews you're with Jewish voice for peace
I want to turn right now to a clip this
is Republican house Speaker Mike Johnson
uh facing heckling and booze when he
came to Colombia University a few days
ago calling for President Biden to call
in the National Guard to bring order to
the campus where the students set up the
encampment last week he also called for
Colombia president Manu shafik to step
down Columbia students criticized
Johnson's
visit I here today joining my colleagues
and calling on President shaik to resign
if she cannot immediately bring order to
this
chaos as Speaker of the House I am
committing today that the Congress will
not be silent as Jewish students are
expected to run for their lives and stay
home from their classes hiding in
fear um if you can talk about that as a
member of Jewish voice for peace Cameron
yes so I think as a Jewish student on
campus who represents a group of dozen
of Jewish individuals I would like to
note that Jewish students have been part
of the protest movement on campus since
October and there have been dozens of
Jewish students who have been arrested
for pro Palestine demonstrations so I
think it's really important to recognize
that there is a large anti-zionist
Jewish voice on campus and it's also
important to recognize the difference
between anti-zionism and anti-Semitism
anti-zionism is a is a political
ideology while anti-Semitism is in
regards to Judaism which is a cult
culture and a religion and it's
important to know the distinction
between the two and I think often times
in the mainstream media and and on
campus there is a conflation of the two
and it's really important to recognize
that there has been an intense amount of
hostility towards Pro Palestine
protesters on campus we have faced
harassment we have faced physical and
verbal intimidation I myself have been
docks and have faced death threats
online I have been harassed on campus by
multip individuals and explain what you
mean by docked yeah so I've had my
personal information published online
including pictures social media my
LinkedIn profile Etc in which people can
message me death threats and email me
horrible information and the university
has done nothing to protect Pro
Palestine voices and has been really
cracking down on anyone who is standing
up for Palestinian rights and this
really just shows how Columbia