Campus Crackdown: 300+ Arrested in Police Raids on Columbia & CCNY to Clear Gaza Encampments

[Uncle Joe]

New York police in full riot gear stormed Columbia University and the City College of New York Tuesday night, arresting over 300 students to break up Gaza solidarity encampments on the two campuses. The police raid began at the request of Columbia President Minouche Shafik, who has also asked the police to remain a presence on campus until at least May 17 to ensure solidarity encampments are not reestablished before the end of the term. Police also raided CUNY after the administration made a similar call for the police to enter campus. Democracy Now! was on the streets outside Columbia on Tuesday night and spoke with people who were out in support of the student protests as police were making arrests. We also speak with two Columbia University students who witnessed the police crackdown. “When the police arrived, they were extremely efficient in removing all eyewitnesses, including legal observers,” says journalism student Gillian Goodman, who has been covering the protests for weeks and who says she and others slept on campus in order to be able to continue coverage and avoid being locked out. We also hear from Cameron Jones, a Columbia College student with Jewish Voice for Peace, who responds to claims of antisemitism, saying, “There is a large anti-Zionist Jewish voice on campus, and it’s also important to recognize the difference between anti-Zionism and antisemitism.”

Democracy Now! is an independent global news hour that airs on over 1,500 TV and radio stations Monday through Friday. Watch our livestream at democracynow.org Mondays to Fridays 8-9 a.m. ET.

[jimfields33]

1. Hopefully all 300 get expelled. This was very dangerous And irresponsible for the students to

Vandalize buildings. Time to become adults who have to face accountability for the actions. A good life lesson.

[Uncle Joe]

2. If anyone needs expelling, it would be the President of Columbia,

too much incompetence.

About 77 percent of participating Barnard faculty voted in no confidence on Tuesday against President Laura Rosenbury, the college confirmed to The Hill. The Columbia Spectator reported that it is the first no confidence vote against a president in the college’s history.

[jimfields33]

3. I would imagine many presidents of universities are going to be looking for new employment

They allowed this to go to far.

[Uncle Joe]

4. Or unnecessarily escalated the situation,

depending on your point of view.

[jimfields33]

5. Well the police waited for permission to do anything which was a nice change of pace.

Normally they just go in without permission from anyone. I think it was smart to wait for the administration to give the ok.