Large numbers of New York City police officers entered Columbia University late April 30, hours after the mayor said a pro-Palestinian protest that has crippled the Ivy League school for two weeks “must end now.”
The officers took protesters into custody after the university called in police to end the pro-Palestinian occupation on the New York campus.
Why are students protesting across U.S. campuses? | ExplainedThe NYPD’s move came hours after the department’s brass said officers wouldn’t enter Columbia’s campus without the college administration’s request or an imminent emergency.
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Columbia’s protests earlier this month kicked off demonstrations that now span from California to Massachusetts. More than 1,000 protesters have been arrested over the last two weeks on campuses in states including Texas, Utah, Virginia, North Carolina, New Mexico, Connecticut, Louisiana, California and New Jersey, some after confrontations with police in riot gear.
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Other colleges have sought to negotiate agreements with the demonstrators in the hopes of having peaceful commencement ceremonies, that begin in May.
The nationwide campus protests began at Columbia in response to Israel’s offensive in Gaza after Hamas launched a deadly attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7.
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