Mayhem in Morningside Heights! –  Police Arrest 100 Anti-Israeli Protesters at Columbia U  

Mayhem in Morningside Heights! –  Police Arrest 100 Anti-Israeli Protesters at Columbia U  

Edited by: Fern Sidman

In a significant escalation of campus tensions at Columbia University, at least 100 anti-Israel protesters were arrested and removed by NYPD officers equipped with riot gear. The New York Post reported that this drastic action was initiated on Thursday afternoon after Columbia’s President, Minouche Shafik, made the decisive move to dismantle a large anti-Israel protest encampment.

The protest, which began as an “occupation” by dozens of students on the South Lawn of Columbia’s campus, quickly transformed into a significant confrontation. According to the information provided in the Post report, the encampment was erected early Wednesday morning, despite clear warnings from the university administration that participants needed to vacate by 9 p.m. that same day, with the threat of preliminary suspensions looming over those who chose to defy the orders.

BREAKING:

Absolute chaos at Columbia University!

Via @ScooterCasterNY pic.twitter.com/gKcioFDdkB

— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) April 18, 2024

By Thursday afternoon, the situation escalated as NYPD cops in body armor and face shields arrived on the scene. The protesters, including some who resisted to the point of needing to be physically carried away, were promptly detained and placed onto waiting NYPD corrections buses, as per the Post report. In a show of defiance, a large crowd swarmed the police vehicles, temporarily preventing them from leaving.

The police response was robust; officers dismantled dozens of tents, discarding them as trash. This forceful clearing of the protest was met with mixed reactions from the student body. As was noted in the Post report, a 20-year-old Columbia student, opting to remain anonymous, expressed support for the police actions, stating, “I applaud the cops. They are doing the right thing,” and emphasized the sentiment of insecurity felt by some students: “We don’t feel safe. We fear for our lives.”

The student also referenced Hamas, the Iranian backed terrorist organization that was responsible for the October 7^th massacre in southern Israel in which 1200 Israelis and others were killed and 250 were taken hostage.  The Post reported that the student implied that the motivations behind the protest were aligned with the actions of such groups and that they protest group supported terrorist acts targeting Israelis.

UPDATE: A massive group of students have surrounded the Columbia University Palestine solidarity encampment to express their support for the protesters pic.twitter.com/WN6yc7MSac

— BreakThrough News (@BTnewsroom) April 18, 2024

Notably, one of the anti-Israel protest leaders, Isra Hirsi, daughter of Representative Ilhan Omar, faced suspension from Barnard College, affiliated with Columbia, due to her involvement in the demonstrations.

President Shafik’s decision to involve the NYPD in clearing the protest marks a critical moment in the university’s approach to handling campus demonstrations. It illustrates a hardline stance against prolonged occupations and raises questions about the balance between student activism and institutional control.

The event rapidly escalated around 2:30 p.m., leading to the detention of approximately 100 demonstrators, as police sources reported to The Post.

As the officers entered the university grounds, they issued stern warnings to the gathered protesters, informing them that failure to disperse would result in arrests, the Post report indicated. Despite these warnings, many demonstrators chose to stay, sitting quietly in rows, embodying a passive resistance even as they were bound with zip ties and taken into custody.

🚨UPDATE: Cornel West has joined the students occupying the West Lawn at Columbia University in support and solidarity with the students arrested in the Gaza Solidarity Encampment and the Palestinian struggle!!! pic.twitter.com/hfMOds7Qi0

— sebas 🇵🇸🇸🇩🇨🇩🇵🇬 (@cybersebb) April 18, 2024

The atmosphere surrounding the protest was charged with emotion. Onlookers, some of whom may have been students or local community members, expressed their dissent loudly. Chants of “Shame, shame, shame!” echoed through the air, mingling with cries of “Let them go!” from the crowd, as detailed in the Post report.

The atmosphere on campus further deteriorated when shocking video footage surfaced, showing a protester near the university openly supporting Hamas. This incident, coupled with the arrest of another protester for assaulting an NYPD officer, highlighted the intensity and volatility of the situation.

BREAKING: NYPD have begun arresting members of the Columbia University Palestine solidarity encampment pic.twitter.com/h3NhYsERXa

— BreakThrough News (@BTnewsroom) April 18, 2024

In anticipation of the protest’s growth, the NYPD had strategically blocked off 114th and 115th Streets, which are located just south of the university’s main entrance. This tactical move aimed to control the flow of protesters and manage the gathering more effectively.  As was affirmed in the Post report, officers in riot gear were also observed moving in formation along Broadway, south of 116th Street, creating a visible barrier between the campus and potential reinforcements for the demonstrators.

President Minouche Shafik, in an email sent earlier to students, faculty, and staff, explained her decision to request NYPD intervention, a measure she had hoped would never be necessary. The report in the Post said that Shafik articulated that this “extraordinary step” was compelled by “extraordinary circumstances.” She highlighted that the protesters had violated a comprehensive list of university rules and policies, suggesting a breakdown of campus order that could no longer be managed through internal measures alone.

UPDATE: Columbia students are now occupying the other lawn in solidarity with the encampment protesters who were arrested pic.twitter.com/ZTpA2N8o4g

— BreakThrough News (@BTnewsroom) April 18, 2024

She also conveyed regret over the necessity of police involvement but underscored the administration’s efforts to engage with the protesting students. According to Shafik, the university had attempted to address the demonstrators’ concerns and had offered to continue discussions provided the protesters agreed to disband their encampment, the Post reported. However, these offers were ultimately rebuffed, leading to a hardened stance from both sides.

The situation reached a critical point when President Shafik penned a letter to the NYPD’s Deputy Commissioner of Legal Matters, explaining that the students, having been suspended, were now technically trespassing on university property. The Post report pointed out that in her plea for police assistance, she detailed the requested procedure: the NYPD would employ Long Range Acoustic Device (LRAD) technology to issue a final order for dispersal to the encamped students, allowing them time to comply before any further actions were taken.

🚨UPDATE: Hear the chants of over 1000 of Columbia University/Barnard students, faculty, alumni, and affiliates as they call for disclosure and divestment of CU funding of Israel and its genocide of Palestinians. They are also calling for amnesty for all students and faculty… pic.twitter.com/voZ7p3KFqw

— sebas 🇵🇸🇸🇩🇨🇩🇵🇬 (@cybersebb) April 18, 2024

In her correspondence, Shafik stressed the importance of handling the situation with care and caution. She emphasized the university’s priority of maintaining safety and security for all members of the community and expressed appreciation for the NYPD’s support in managing the protest respectfully and peacefully during such a challenging time.

Responding to the university’s call, NYPD Deputy Commissioner Michael Gerber issued a memo authorizing the police action to dismantle the protest, as requested by President Shafik, the report added.

Amidst a backdrop of escalating tensions and public scrutiny, Shafik recently faced pointed allegations of “gross negligence” during her testimony on Wednesday before the House Education and Workforce Committee. The Post reported that the allegations primarily concerned anti-Semitic incidents on campus and accusations of pro-Hamas indoctrination, highlighting a fraught period for the Ivy League institution following the October 7 Hamas terror attacks in Israel.

A report issued by Columbia’s own Task Force on Anti-Semitism described “repeated violations by student groups” in the aftermath of these attacks. The document brought to light the depth of the issue, revealing a pattern of behavior that many found concerning. Ahead of the congressional hearing, Jewish students and alumni expressed their apprehension and dissatisfaction to The Post, emphasizing a sharp and frightening rise in anti-Semitism and unchecked protests that have clearly fostered an environment of hostility towards Jewish students at the Morningside Heights campus. The Columbia University Jewish Alumni Association demanded that university administrators take more decisive action to curb these unauthorized demonstrations.

During her testimony, President Shafik defended Columbia’s response to the incidents post-October 7 but faced critical questions from lawmakers. As was noted in the Post report, a contentious point in the hearing was her refusal to classify the phrase “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” as anti-Semitic, a stance that has been widely debated within academic and political circles.