The New York Police Department recently arrested 61 women following an incident at Columbia University’s Butler Library, where an anti-Israel protest occurred as students prepared for finals. Overall, reports indicate that about 80 individuals were detained, with 19 men and 61 women among them. Notably, sources mentioned that at least 50 of those arrested were students from Columbia.
The protesters changed the name of the library to “Basel Al-Araj Popular University,” and witnesses reported that they climbed onto desks, chanting “Free Palestine” and demanding a sale of the university’s assets to Israel.
Entrance to Columbia was tightly controlled, with security stating, “No one’s coming in, no one’s coming out.”
Following the disruption, Claire Shipman, Columbia’s representative president, noted in a statement that the NYPD was called in for security assistance. She mentioned that two university police officers sustained injuries during the chaotic situation.
“It’s unfortunate that both public safety officers were hurt when people tried to push into the building,” Shipman remarked. “Such actions are simply outrageous.”
In another comment, Shipman indicated that someone had forced their way into a reading room of the library. She condemned the disruption, labeling it unacceptable, especially given that it interfered with students’ study time as they prepared for exams. Columbia stands firmly against anti-Semitism and any acts of violence or discrimination.
Additionally, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is monitoring the situation to ascertain if any protesters are non-citizens.
