new york city Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Police Department (NYPD) leadership cited a “global” movement to “radicalize young people” when announcing the arrests of nearly 300 people overnight at Columbia University and City College. Ta.
“I know there are people who are trying to say that the majority of the people may have been students. You don’t have to be in the majority to influence and cooperate with the operation. That’s what this is about. And so if we want to use the word police, you can, I’m going to play a New York City police officer,” Adams said at a press conference. “There is a movement that radicalizes young people, but I’m not going to wait until it’s over and suddenly admit that it exists. The fact that young people are being influenced by radicalization experts is a global phenomenon. That’s a problem.” And as the mayor of New York City, I’m not going to allow that to happen. ”
Adams made it clear that making arrests at schools and removing people who don’t belong on campus is far from the end of the problem.
“We know this is just one part of the whole story of welfare in this city. This is not a celebration, it’s temporary,” Adams said. “We cannot create an environment as long as children are potentially at risk. We must stop any attempts to radicalize the youth of this city, as we are seeing around the world. not.”
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NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban (right) and Mayor Eric Adams as Caban holds up a chain and lock that police officers removed during an operation to clear protesters from Columbia University on May 1, 2024. He appeared at a press conference. (Reuters/Mike Seeger)
On April 18, the day after Columbia University President Minoush Shafik was taken before the House Education and Labor Committee in Washington, D.C. over rising anti-Semitism at the Ivy League school, Columbia University leadership announced 100 Allowed police access to private campuses to arrest more than one person. But as protesters regrouped and Shafik testified before Congress over anti-Semitic comments praising Hamas’ massacre of about 1,200 Jews on October 7, some were fired or reprimanded. The university’s president said this after an anti-Israel campaign that even involved professors in the department continued for about two weeks. He decided to keep the police out.
Instead, Shafiq had administrators attempt to negotiate with protest organizers who demanded the university’s “withdrawal” from Israel. That was until protesters occupied Hamilton Hall.
About 300 people were arrested overnight in Columbia and nearby City College. Preliminary charges range from trespassing to criminal mischief to theft, police said.
NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban held up a chain during a press conference Wednesday, appearing to note that Columbia University has locked its gates to prevent police access to the sidewalk.
Anti-Israel activists block the view of bystanders as protesters are placed in the back of a police vehicle in New York City, Wednesday, May 1, 2024. Approximately 300 protesters were arrested overnight at Columbia University and City College. (John M. Mantel, FOX News Digital)
“They tried to shut us out. But the NYPD and the people of New York City will never be shut out. And we will always work together to keep our city safe,” he said afterward. I said as I put it down.
Last week, Columbia leaders acknowledged in discussions with NYPD officials that “outside agitators were training on the ground and were actually co-opting this movement,” Adams said. Police said they conducted the operation “at the request of Columbia University.” “It’s about removing those who turned peaceful protests into places where anti-Semitism and anti-Israel attitudes flourish.”
The mayor told reporters that those who invaded Hamilton Hall were “led by individuals not affiliated with the university,” and that Columbia University was moving to New York to clear the building and outdoor encampment through a “dual operation.” He said he needed help from the city police.
In the early morning hours of April 30, 2024, New York City police officers detained dozens of anti-Israel demonstrators at Columbia University who had barricaded themselves in the Hamilton Hall building near the Gaza Solidarity encampment. (Selcuk Achar/Anadolu via Getty Images)
The mayor acknowledged that there were “similar signs” from the 2020 Black Lives Matter demonstrations, and said campus protests included “an outside group with a history of trying to escalate the situation and cause chaos.” “actors” were involved.
“Students have the right to protest and free speech is a cornerstone of our society,” Adams said. “But our biggest concern is that we knew and saw that there were people who didn’t care about free speech at all. They were concerned about disruption. It was about outside parties hijacking a peaceful protest and influencing students to escalate it by erecting barricades, building and destroying property. , or dismantle surveillance cameras. ”
Since the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks, New York City police have responded to more than 2,400 protests, about 1,000 of which focused on the situation with Israelis and Palestinians, Caban said. added.
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On April 30, 2024, police cleared an anti-Israel camp at Columbia University after protesters barricaded themselves in Hamilton Hall. (Selcuk Achar/Anadolu via Getty Images)
NYPD Deputy Commissioner Rebecca Weiner said many people law enforcement knows have been involved in protests in New York City and other cities over the years and are “training on changes in tactics.” mentioned. She pointed to campus organizing efforts and how demonstrators dressed in “black mob attire” broke windows, committed vandalism and destruction of property, erected barricades, and He also mentioned whether he had recovered “makeshift weapons” from the encampment. Tactics used by anti-Israel agitators included “inciting chaos” and “illegal occupation.”
“Prior to the incident at Hamilton Hall, the combination of the presence of a known person on campus and the change in tactics is why we really had heightened public safety concerns,” she said. He spoke about why police officers need protective gear. “When you find yourself in a situation where you don’t fully understand what’s waiting on the other side of the door. This is important and it’s not just a New York City problem. It’s definitely not just a Columbia problem.” This is a challenge that we’re all going to be dealing with for some time because we’ve seen it spread to CCNY, but this problem is spreading across the country and in Europe as well. ”
Adams said the NYPD “cannot get bogged down in politically correct language” and instead needs to focus on public safety and removing “people who shouldn’t be on campus.”
April 30, 2024, at Columbia University’s Hamilton Hall Building, NYPD. (Selcuk Achar/Anadolu via Getty Images)
“We saw evidence of training. We saw a change in the tactics that were being used,” Adams said. “And once we started taking advantage of the information that Intel could provide, we knew it was time to reach out directly to schools and let them know we were getting more than just peaceful protests. Ta.”
NYPD officials praised the professionalism of their officers and said the “overwhelming majority” of the roughly 300 arrests were made without injuries or serious scuffles with police.
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Adams also slammed protesters for taking down American flags and planting Palestinian flags on campus.
“This is our flag. Don’t take over our building and put up another flag,” the mayor said. “That may be fine for other people, but it’s not for me. My uncle died defending this country. They’re putting their lives on the line, and yet schools are not protecting our country. It’s despicable to allow another country’s flag to be flown, and it should be condemned.” I’m proud to be an American, and I thank you, Secretary. [Kaz] Daughtry, for putting that flag back. We do not surrender our way of life to anyone. ”
