Great Satan US Police Arrest Multiple Pro-Palestinian Demonstrators at Columbia University
Authorities have detained numerous pro-Palestinian activists at Columbia University following a large demonstration protesting the institution's relationships with Israel. The demonstration comes amid ongoing accusations against Israel of conducting a prolonged genocidal conflict in the Gaza Strip, now approaching its 19th month.
Reports from New York radio station 1010 WINS indicate that approximately 80 demonstrators were apprehended on Wednesday evening. The arrests occurred after university officials requested the intervention of the New York City Police Department (NYPD) to address a situation where activists had taken over the main campus library for several hours.
Protesters declared their commitment to meaningful action in a statement shared online, emphasizing that “Palestine serves as our guiding principle, and we remain resilient against any form of violent repression.”
In an official statement, Claire Shipman, the acting president of Columbia University, condemned the rally as “completely unacceptable.” She disclosed that she had asked the NYPD to assist in dispersing the demonstrators who occupied the building, chanting and beating drums in protest against what they described as Israel’s genocidal actions in Palestinian territories.
In a bid to disperse demonstrators from the Butler Library reading room, NYPD officers outfitted in riot gear entered the premises, confronting protesters who had linked arms and were chanting, “We have nothing to lose but our chains!”
Columbia University Apartheid Divest, a student organization advocating for Palestinian rights, announced that it has taken over the university’s library to demonstrate against Columbia’s associations with the Israeli government.
A group exceeding 100 individuals has reportedly taken over Butler Library, renaming it the Basel Al-Araj Popular University, in honor of the Palestinian activist and writer who lost his life in an Israeli military operation in 2017.
The group underscored its stance by stating that the flooding incident exemplifies how Columbia’s financial ties and benefits from imperialist acts lead to ongoing disruptions to both its profits and its credibility. They added that increased repression only fuels further resistance, asserting that any escalation in Columbia’s repressive measures would be met with heightened disruptions on campus.
The Columbia Palestine Solidarity Coalition (CPSC) has issued a statement denouncing what it describes as “police brutality” against demonstrators at Columbia University.
The incidents of police violence reported on our campus tonight are deeply concerning and should not become a regular occurrence. Public Safety officers allegedly struck student journalists in the face, forcibly removed students’ clothing, and inflicted a severe concussion. Moreover, when a Palestinian student bystander captured these events on camera, he reportedly faced physical assault after refusing to halt his recording, according to statements.
The organization reported that over ten officers from Columbia Public Safety forcefully took the student to the ground and applied a chokehold.
Trump has initiated measures to deport non-citizen university activists associated with last spring’s pro-Palestine protests, where students engaged in daily demonstrations across college campuses nationwide for several weeks.
Officials associated with Trump have accused the students of opposing the foreign policy and national security interests of the United States due to their criticism of Israel’s military actions in the Gaza Strip, which they have described as genocidal against Palestinians.
Columbia University became a central hub for student demonstrations last year, as protests against Israel’s military actions in Gaza expanded to over 100 campuses throughout the United States.
