new york –A pro-Palestinian encampment New York University was cleared by police Monday night and several arrests were made.
NYPD officers joined the demonstration at Gould Plaza near the Stern School of Business shortly after 8:15 p.m. and began removing tents and making arrests. Chopper 2’s Dan Rice reported that at least 20 demonstrators were taken away by four police buses. During that time, demonstrators began throwing objects at police officers.
“We support Palestine and we support the liberation of all people,” one demonstrator said.
After police moved in, many protesters moved to a location on West 3rd Street in Greenwich Village, not far from the Stern School of Business. Others carrying placards began marching peacefully in lower Manhattan.
Earlier in the day, students took over the school’s procedures, and people who appeared to be faculty members also joined in.Several pro-Palestinian organizations We came together in solidarity. We also set up the aforementioned tent.
“Unity is strength. We are here united to support Gaza, Palestine,” said student Carter Bui.
New York University officials said there was a violation of the fencing installed there. “We witnessed disorderly, disruptive and hostile acts that interfered with the safety and security of our community,” the security chief said.
Protesters say they want their demands met
Demonstrators were ordered to clear the square area by 4pm on Monday.
“We deserve to feel that genocide is happening and that our voices are heard, we deserve to feel safe in our environment, we deserve to have a university that screams out the genocide of our people. “I want the university to acknowledge that we have Palestinian students,” one said.
“It definitely helps that there are a lot of people at the school who support this movement and aren’t afraid of the school’s response,” another student said.
A group of people holding Israeli flags stood across from the rally. One of them had only one thing to say.
“There’s one side and one side of history here. This is the right side here. That’s all I’m saying,” the person said.
Earlier in the day, CBS New York met with two people with opposing views — one pro-Israel, the other pro-Palestinian — but came together to have a constructive conversation.
“At the end of the day, people who want the best situation want the most peaceful, most desirable situation for everyone,” said Jacob, a third-year student at New York University.
“I think a lot of people should get out here more. If you don’t know what’s going on, educate yourself first,” freshman Kimora Davidson said.
New York University: “We continue to support individual rights to freedom of expression”
New York University issued the following statement on Monday night:
“Today’s events did not have to lead to this outcome.
“This morning, approximately 50 protesters began demonstrating in the plaza in front of the Business School. This was done without any notice or permission from the university. The university closed access to the plaza and erected a fence. “We have no intention of allowing additional protesters, as the protests have already significantly disrupted school classes and other activities around the square.” There wasn’t.
“Nonetheless, we did not move to clear the plaza at that time, as the university’s objective was primarily to avoid escalation and violence, which is why we made no move to clear the plaza at that time. The university was very upset when additional protesters showed up, but we believe that many of them were not. He suddenly broke through and joined up with other students who were already in the square. This violation violated the directives of the campus safety officer and violated multiple university regulations.
“This development has dramatically changed the situation. We have witnessed disorderly, destructive and hostile actions that disrupt the safety and security of our communities, and we have seen how demonstrations quickly spiral out of control and people are injured.” At one point, we explained to the protesters that they had to disperse within an hour and there would be no negative consequences.
“Despite this, many people refused to leave. We also heard intimidating chants and several anti-Semitic incidents reported. Given the safety concerns posed by the break-in, we requested assistance from the NYPD. Police asked those in the square to leave peacefully, but ultimately in large numbers. arrests were made.
“We will continue to support the individual right to freedom of expression, and as we have said since October, maintaining student safety and an equitable learning environment remains our top priority.”
