New York City Mayor Eric Adams And New York Police Department (NYPD) leadership cited a “global” movement to “radicalize young people” in announcing nearly 300 arrests overnight at Columbia University and City College.
“I know there are people who are trying to say, well, the majority of people would have been students. You don’t have to be the majority to influence and co-opt an operation. That’s what it’s about. And so, if we want to play the word cop, you can do that. I’m going to play the New York City cop,” Adams said at a press conference. “There is a movement going on to radicalize young people, and I will not wait until it is complete and suddenly acknowledge its existence. It is a global problem that young people are being influenced by people who are trying to radicalize them.” “Our kids are professionals. And I won’t let that happen as mayor of New York City.”
Adams made clear that making arrests at schools and removing people who were not on campus was far from the end of the problem.
“We know this is just a comma in the whole sentence of public safety in this city. This is not a celebration, a moment,” Adams said. “We cannot create an environment where children are in danger, and we must push back all efforts to radicalize our youth in this city as we are seeing all over the world.”
Two Columbia students who confronted the mob said a car full of ‘masked people’ monitored them
NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban, right, and Mayor Eric Adams appear at a press conference as Caban removes chains and locks from officers during their operation to remove protesters from Columbia University on May 1, 2024. (Reuters/Mike Sager)
The next day was Minouche Shafik, president of Columbia University. Placed before the House Education and Workforce Committee In Washington, DC, concerned about rising anti-Semitism at the Ivy League school, Columbia leadership on April 18 gave police permission to arrest more than 100 people on its private campus. However, as protesters regrouped and turned to an anti-Israel stance – including some of the professors who had testified to Shafiq before Congress, he was fired or fired for praising the slaughter of approximately 1,200 Jews by Hamas on October 7. Wally was reprimanded over anti-Semitic comments — continuing for about two weeks, the university president said. Opted to keep the police out.
Shafik instead asked administrators to attempt negotiations with protest organizers who were seeking to “divest” the university from Israel. That was until protesters took over Hamilton Hall.
About 300 people were arrested overnight in Columbia and nearby City College. Police said preliminary charges ranged from trespassing to criminal mischief and theft.
NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban held up chains at Wednesday’s press conference, in an apparent reference to Columbia University closing its gates to keep police off the sidewalks.
Anti-Israel protesters block onlookers’ views as protesters are herded into the back of a police vehicle in New York City on Wednesday, May 1, 2024. About 300 protesters were arrested overnight at Columbia University and City College. (John M. Mantel for Fox News Digital)
“They tried to lock us out. But the NYPD and the people there New York City Will never be locked. And we will always work together to keep our city safe,” he said afterward, breaking the chains.
Last week, Columbia leadership acknowledged in discussions with NYPD officers that “outside agitators were training in their area and were actually supporting this movement,” Adams said, and, “at the request of Columbia University, “The police launched an operation. “To remove those who turned a peaceful protest into a space where anti-Semitism and anti-Israel attitudes were widespread.”
The mayor told reporters that those who entered Hamilton Hall were led by “individuals who are not affiliated with the university” and that Columbia was assisted by the NYPD in clearing the building and the camp outside through a “dual operation.” was required.
NYPD officers detain dozens of anti-Israel protesters at Columbia University after barricading themselves in the Hamilton Hall building near the Gaza Solidarity Encampment on April 30, 2024. (Selcuk Acre/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Recognizing “similar indicators” from the 2020 Black Lives Matter demonstrations, the mayor said the campus protests involved “external actors who have a history of trying to escalate situations and create chaos.”
“Students have the right to protest and free speech is a cornerstone of our society,” Adams said. “But as our major concern, we knew, and we saw that there were people who were never worried about freedom of expression. They were worried about anarchy. This hijacking of peaceful protests by outside elements. There was nothing peaceful about barricading, building, destroying property or destroying security cameras.”
Since the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks, the NYPD has responded to more than 2,400 protests, Cabán said, about 1,000 of which focused on the situation with Israelis and Palestinians.
Anti-Israel mob in Colombia reveals what they will target next after taking over academic building
Police dismantle an anti-Israel encampment at Columbia University after protesters barricaded themselves in Hamilton Hall on April 30, 2024. (Selcuk Acre/Anadolu via Getty Images)
NYPD Assistant Commissioner Rebecca Weiner described how many people who know law enforcement over the years that they have been involved with protests in New York City and other cities are “training around a change in tactics.” Pointing to the campus organizing effort, he described how protesters wore “Black Block Dress,” Broke windows, engaged in vandalism and destruction of property, barricaded themselves in and “makeshift weapons” were recovered from the encampment. Tactics used by anti-Israel agitators also included “chaos” and “sit-ins”.
“Our concern for public safety was heightened by the change in strategy coupled with the presence of known individuals on campus for what occurred at Hamilton Hall,” he said. officers are required protective gear. “When you’re going into a situation that you don’t fully understand what might be welcoming you on the other side of the door. So that’s important, and it’s not just a New York City issue. It’s obviously “It’s not just a Columbia issue. We saw it spreading in CCNY last night, but it’s spreading across the country and Europe as well, so it’s a challenge we’re all going to have to deal with for some time.”
Adams said the NYPD “cannot focus on what is the politically correct terminology” and must instead focus on public safety and “removing individuals from the premises who should not have been there.”
NYPD at Columbia University’s Hamilton Hall building on April 30, 2024. (Selcuk Acre/Anadolu via Getty Images)
“We saw evidence of training. We saw changes in the tactics being used,” Adams said. “And when you start using the intelligence that intel was able to provide, we knew it was time to communicate directly with the school and say, you have much more than a peaceful protest on your hands.”
NYPD officials praised the professionalism of the officers, saying that the “overwhelming majority” of the approximately 300 arrests occurred without any injuries or serious clashes with police.
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Adams also criticized how protesters took down American flags and placed Palestinian flags on campuses.
The mayor said, “This is our flag, folks. Don’t take over our buildings and put up another flag.” “It may be OK for other people, but it’s not for me. My uncle died defending this country and these men and women put their lives on the line and it’s disgusting that schools in our country are like other Will allow the flag to fly. So I’m proud to be an American. And I thank Commissioner (Kaz) Daughtry for putting that flag back up.
