An anti-Israel encampment at Manhattan’s Fashion Institute of Technology was cleared Tuesday evening after dozens of protesters were arrested for refusing to shut down the gathering.
Just 10 minutes after announcing that anyone who did not leave the West 27th Street campus would be charged with trespassing, hundreds of NYPD officers wearing riot helmets and carrying zip ties appeared on the scene. entered the crowd.
“Students, students, you are our pride!” the crowd chanted as their comrades were taken to NYPD correctional buses shortly before midnight.
Within 30 minutes, university cleaning crews cleared the campsite and dragged tents from the site.
It was not immediately clear whether FIT had given the NYPD the green light to arrest protesters, as Columbia University did with students twice last month.
Hundreds of protesters played games like Connect 4 and Jenga, drew on the ground with chalk and munched on cookies before police moved in.
The only confrontation occurred when police reprimanded a demonstrator for throwing candy into the crowd, telling him it was dangerous and could hit someone in the eye.
“Did you punch someone in the eye?” she asked her friends in front of the police.
“No!” they jeered.
Police began monitoring the peaceful demonstration for more than two hours before arrests swooped in.
Police set up barricades in front of the tent city as protesters locked their weapons in front of the encampment.
Throughout the demonstration, demonstrators hurled insults at police officers who were maintaining the perimeter.
