New York Police Department (NYPD) officers, equipped with helmets and zip ties, entered Barnard College's campus on Wednesday afternoon following an anti-Israel protest inside the Milstein Center for Teaching and Learning, reported The Columbia Spectator.
According to the report, the officers arrived at approximately 4:50 p.m. local time, nearly four hours after pro-Palestinian Arab demonstrators initiated a sit-in, and proceeded to detain several individuals.
As the officers advanced toward the Milstein Center, protesters began exiting the premises while law enforcement conducted a walkthrough. Using a megaphone, NYPD officers instructed demonstrators to “exit the courtyard” due to an “active bomb threat.”
The arrests followed an earlier announcement by Barnard Vice President for Strategic Communications Robin Levine in the Milstein lobby at around 4:15 p.m., in which she warned of a “bomb threat” and urged those inside to evacuate. Despite this, many protesters chose to remain.
When demonstrators continued to gather outside the building, NYPD officers formed a line on the north end of the lawn, gradually pushing protesters toward the gates. Some resisted as officers advanced, according to The Columbia Spectator.
The first two arrests took place on Futter Field, where police restrained individuals with zip ties. As tensions escalated, additional protesters were detained, with officers pulling and shoving demonstrators before subduing them. In total, at least six individuals were detained and at least one protester was unmasked by police after being detained, the report said.
The NYPD has yet to confirm the exact number of arrests.
Commenting on Wednesday’s events, Columbia University said in a statement, “We are aware of a disruption of Milstein Library at Barnard College—a separate institution from Columbia University, although it is affiliated. We are in touch with Barnard’s leadership and security team as they address the situation and will continue to monitor it closely. The disruption of academic activities is not acceptable conduct. We are committed to supporting our Columbia student body and our campus community during this challenging time.”
Wednesday’s incident follows a similar protest a week ago, when protesters stormed a campus building in protest of the expulsion of two students who had disrupted an Israeli professor’s class earlier this semester.
During last week's protest, law enforcement sources said a group of about 20 students stormed the academic building, shoving a 41-year-old security officer to the ground. He was later transported to Mount Sinai Morningside Hospital, complaining of chest pains.
The disruptions are the latest in a series of incidents at Columbia University related to the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza. Columbia has come under increased scrutiny over the rise in antisemitism on campus since the Hamas massacre in Israel on October 7, 2023.
Pro-Palestinian Arab demonstrators at Columbia set up dozens of tents in April of last year, demanding that the university divest from its Israeli assets. The university administration called in police to dismantle the encampments.
On April 30, at the request of university leaders, hundreds of officers with the New York Police Department stormed onto campus, gaining access to the building through a second-story window and making dozens of arrests of the pro-Palestinian Arab demonstrators who had taken over Hamilton Hall.
Before the anti-Israel encampment on campus, the Chabad rabbi of Columbia University and a group of Jewish students were forced to leave the university campus for their own safety during a pro-Hamas demonstration.
In August, three Columbia University deans resigned from the school, after it was discovered that they had exchanged “very troubling” texts that “disturbingly touched on ancient antisemitic tropes”.
Before the anti-Israel encampment on campus, the Chabad rabbi of Columbia University and a group of Jewish students were forced to leave the university campus for their own safety during a pro-Hamas demonstration.
Later that month, Columbia University President Dr. Minouche Shafik announced her resignation, following months of criticism for her handling of campus antisemitism.
In September, on the first day of classes, dozens of masked anti-Israel protesters gathered at the entrance to Columbia and at Barnard College.