In response to ongoing demonstrations, New York City police officers were deployed to Columbia University late Tuesday evening. They entered Hamilton Hall, the focal point of the protests, which had been occupied by demonstrators since early Tuesday. CNN’s live broadcast captured footage of NYPD officers entering the building, and the university confirmed that the arrests were made shortly after 9 p.m. to restore order and ensure the safety of the campus community.
Columbia University officials stated that Hamilton Hall had been occupied, vandalized, and blockaded overnight, leaving them with no choice but to seek assistance from law enforcement. Public safety personnel were forced out of the building, and a member of the facilities team was threatened. The university emphasized its commitment to protecting the well-being of its community and preventing further escalation.
Further uptown, police made arrests outside City College of New York, dispersing protesters and erecting steel barricades in the area. Despite the police action, the protest encampment at Columbia remains intact, according to the New York Times.
Prior to the clashes, Mayor Eric Adams, Deputy Commissioner for Intel and Counterterrorism Rebecca Weiner, and other police officials addressed the media, condemning the protesters’ actions and declaring that the police were on standby and prepared to intervene if requested by university leadership. Mayor Adams stressed the importance of maintaining peace and preventing the situation from escalating.
Adams expressed concern about the influence of “professional outside agitators” on the student-led demonstrations and urged students to leave the area. Columbia officials responded swiftly, threatening expulsion for any student who refused to vacate the occupied building. The campus has been placed under partial lockdown, restricting access to essential staff and some students.
Mayor Adams appealed to parents and guardians to urge their children to leave the area before the situation worsened. The interventions by the NYPD aim to maintain order and protect the safety of the campus and surrounding community.
