A tumultuous scene unfolded at New York University on Monday night as more than 150 individuals were arrested amidst escalating pro-Palestinian demonstrations, according to authorities.
Students, faculty members, and other participants found themselves in police custody following a request for assistance from school officials to clear a plaza on NYU’s Manhattan campus, as confirmed by the New York Police Department. The majority of those apprehended are expected to be released following processing, the department assured.
These arrests follow closely on the heels of a similar crackdown at Columbia University, where over 100 individuals, many of them students, were detained during protests. The wave of demonstrations has rippled across various academic institutions, including Yale University, in response to the Israel-Hamas conflict that erupted in October.
Kaz Daughtry, the NYPD’s deputy commissioner for operations, addressed the situation in a social media statement, pointing to a recurring trend of individuals attempting to occupy spaces in defiance of school policies. Daughtry emphasized the readiness of the NYPD to intervene in such instances of prohibited and subsequently illegal actions.
Monday’s protests at NYU saw demonstrators breach barriers set up around Gould Plaza, situated outside the Stern School of Business, according to the school’s Global Campus Safety department. Officials had previously issued warnings to vacate the plaza by 4 p.m.
A safety advisory message conveyed to individuals present at the plaza emphasized that departing promptly would spare them any consequences, including disciplinary measures or police intervention. The message, disseminated through official university communication channels, underscored the importance of adhering to safety requirements and decried disruptive behavior that jeopardized the community’s well-being.
NYU administration, faced with escalating tensions, sought assistance from the NYPD to restore order, as revealed in a letter shared by Deputy Commissioner Daughtry.
