The New York Police Department (NYPD) intervened at Columbia University’s campus in Manhattan, dispersing a sit-in by students expressing solidarity with Palestinians. The incident occurred on Wednesday when police forcibly entered Hamilton Hall, where the students had been holding a two-week-long protest.
According to reports, officers, wearing helmets, stormed the campus building late Tuesday night to arrest and disperse demonstrators who had occupied the building approximately 24 hours prior. Television footage captured the moment police approached the fortified entrance of Hamilton Hall, declaring their intent to clear the building.
Eyewitnesses report a significant police presence, including a long line of officers climbing the building using a ladder truck to access upper floors. Additional officers were deployed around a nearby protest camp, while students outside the campus chanted “Shame, shame!”
The confrontation is part of a larger wave of student-led protests at dozens of universities across the United States in recent days, triggered by Israeli actions in Gaza. The sit-in at Columbia was pivotal in this growing movement, highlighting the intensifying domestic response to international conflicts.
Columbia University administration has confirmed that they requested NYPD’s presence on campus through May 17 to prevent the reformation of the sit-in. The faculty has criticized the administration for its handling of the events on campus, attributing responsibility for the escalation to university leaders.
During the operation, the police detained about 50 protesters, escorting handcuffed demonstrators to police vehicles parked outside the university gates. As the arrested students were led away, onlookers and fellow protesters outside the building chanted “Free Palestine!” and “Let the students go!”
This event underscores the ongoing tension between student activism and institutional control, reflecting broader societal conflicts regarding the Middle East and the limits of protest on college campuses.
Notably, American police arrested presidential candidate Jill Stein while she participated in a pro-Palestinian protest at Washington University.
Stein, representing the Green Party, reported on the social media platform X that her campaign manager Jason Cole and deputy campaign manager Kelly Merrill Cair were also detained during the demonstration against the university’s ties to the war on Gaza.
CNN reported that Stein’s campaign spokesperson stated they were not yet aware of any charges being filed. Stein joined the protest to support students who had set up a camp, declaring they would not leave until the university divested from its investments in Boeing and boycotted Israeli academic institutions.
