Manhattan is in chaos as hundreds of police officers stormed universities in a coordinated strike to expel pro-Palestinian protesters who refused to leave.
Protesters threw flares and barricaded themselves inside an administrative building at the City University of New York, about 20 blocks north of Columbia University.
NYPD officers arrived after 9:30 p.m. to disperse the crowd as flares turned the university’s famous arch red and protesters chanted and waved flags in support of Gaza.
Other videos showed protesters using drills to join together pieces of wood to create makeshift barriers as police advanced.
Students and protesters at the City College of New York also clashed with police Tuesday night as the city cracked down on pro-Palestinian protesters on college campuses.
Many protesters chose to leave Columbia when police surrounded the campus rather than be arrested, and walked north to CCNY to join the protest there.
Earlier, police cleared protesters at Columbia University after weeks of a protest at a tent encampment that escalated when a group took control of Hamilton Hall.
In Columbia, which was the epicenter of the anti-Israel encampments that have spread across the United States, hundreds of police flooded the Ivy League campus and dozens were arrested to stop the encampment.
Many protesters chose to leave Columbia when police surrounded the campus rather than be arrested, and walked north to CCNY to join the protest there.
Videos posted on social media showed skirmishes between protesters and police as arrests were made.
Police used pepper spray on protesters, and at least one journalist was seen on video caught in the crossfire.
‘WE WILL NOT STOP, WE WILL NOT REST,’ the CUNY Gaza Solidarity Camp posted on X along with a video of protesters with flares climbing a fence on campus.
Pro-Palestinian protesters stand outside CCNY at 139th Street and Amsterdam Avenue
An overwhelming number of police gather in front of the CCNY entrance, ready to expel the protesters.
“While our camps are being attacked by the NYPD SRG with brutal force, all we can think about right now is our brothers and sisters facing imminent invasions in Rafah: ALL CCNY AND ALL EYES ON PALESTINE,” the account tweeted.
CCNY announced earlier in the day that all classes would be moved online “until further notice.”
The move was part of a broader effort by the NYPD to eliminate encampments on college campuses. The protests began on April 17 in Columbia, when students demanded that the Ivy League university divest from Israel.
The protests continued despite university threats of suspensions and expulsions. Early Tuesday morning, Columbia students violently took over a university building.
In the evening, Columbia leaders asked the NYPD to move in and remove the protesters.
Around 9 p.m., officers stormed the university as the crowd chanted and shouted, some confronting officers and setting up barricades to try to block their path.
Police used pepper spray on protesters, and at least one journalist was seen on video caught in the crossfire.
A shelter-in-place warning was issued to students on the Morningside campus moments before officers descended.
In a statement, the university said the decision to call police was “made to restore safety and order in our community.”
“We regret that the protesters have decided to aggravate the situation with their actions,” the statement said.
After the University learned overnight that Hamilton Hall had been occupied, vandalized, and locked, we were left with no choice.
‘Columbia public safety staff were forced out of the building and a member of our facilities team was threatened. “We will not risk the safety of our community or the possibility of further escalation.”
