The NYPD arrested nearly 300 protesters late Tuesday night at Columbia University after forcing their way into the building via the window. The arrests followed a siege of Hamilton Hall, which protesters had occupied and renamed in memory of a Palestinian child killed in the conflict. This action marked a stark continuation of Columbia’s historical protest legacy, mirroring movements from 1968 and 1985.
Mayor Eric Adams, addressing the situation, blamed “outside agitators” for radicalizing the students, a claim met with skepticism due to a lack of disclosed evidence, at least thus far (details about the arrested protestors have yet to be disclosed). “There are those who are attempting to say that the majority of people there are students, you don’t have to be the majority to influence and co-opt an operation,” stated Adams, asserting an aggressive stance against what he described as a movement to radicalize young New Yorkers.
The city’s approach has sparked controversy, with critics condemning the police’s “heavy-handed” tactics. The American Association of University Professors criticized the response as overly militaristic, especially given the largely peaceful nature of the protests. “We condemn, in the strongest possible terms, the heavy-handed, militaristic response to student activism that we are seeing across the country,” they stated.
As the Columbia community grapples with these events, the debate over the role of law enforcement in educational settings remains heated, particularly given the fact that the protests at Columbia are mirrored in countless universities across the country.
