Pro-Palestine Student Demonstrators Arrested

 By Charles Hawes, Capital News

NEW YORK CITY – The NYPD arrested nearly 300 pro-Palestine students demonstrators at City College of New York (CCNY) and Columbia University. The arrests followed the authorization of police presence by university officials. The incident has sparked significant controversy and criticism, particularly from the New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU). In a forceful statement, NYCLU Executive Director Donna Lieberman condemned the universities' decision to involve the police. Universities should be engines of inquiry, dialogue, and creativity. Instead, campus officials in New York City are responding to the largest wave of campus protest in decades with a counterproductive and downright dangerous answer: Calling in riot police,” Lieberman said. She emphasized that nonviolent demonstrations were met with a disproportionate police response, which included officers in tactical gear, creating an environment of intimidation and potential harm.

    According to reports received by the NYCLU, the NYPD's Strategic Response Group deployed pepper spray, physically subdued students, and drew weapons, resulting in injuries. Bystanders and individuals authorized to demonstrate in designated areas were also arrested. Additionally, the police established extensive "exclusion zones" around the campuses, effectively militarizing these areas and restricting access for the press, legal observers, and NYCLU protest monitors. This has raised significant concerns about press freedom and the transparency necessary for accountability. The situation has escalated tensions further, with ongoing protests at other campuses such as Fordham University, where officials reportedly used tarps to obstruct visuals from the public and press. The NYCLU is urging city and campus officials to avoid further escalation and to seek non-police methods to engage with demonstrators. Lieberman highlighted the historical importance of campus protests in driving social conversation, citing past demonstrations at CUNY and Columbia for racial justice and against the Vietnam War. Violent police repression of social activism must not be how our leaders and our schools meet this moment,” Lieberman concluded. As the situation develops, the NYCLU and other civil rights organizations continue to monitor and advocate for the rights of students to protest peacefully without fear of violent repression.



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