New York police detained more than 150 pro-Palestinian protesters on the New York University campus Monday night, authorities told NY1.
NYPD officers in riot gear were seen by NY1 crews restraining protesters with zip ties and leading them to police buses that were parked nearby.
Students remained in tents in Gould Plaza, near NYU’s business school.
But it was not only students, but also professors and the university’s administrative body who joined the protests, asking for an end to the university’s collaborations with Israel, such as NYU Tel Aviv.
They also demanded the disclosure and divestment of investments with companies associated with the war between Israel and Hamas.
In a statement, NYU spokesman John Beckman said the situation “changed dramatically” after the barriers were breached by additional protesters in the afternoon “in violation of the direction of campus security officers and in violation of multiple University regulations.
He added that many protesters refused to leave after being asked to do so by the university.
“In light of the above and the security concerns raised by the breach, we requested assistance from the NYPD,” Beckman stated.
Deputy Commissioner of Operations Kaz Daughtry posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, confirming that the NYPD received a letter from NYU with “a request to clear Gould Plaza of individuals refusing to comply with repeated requests for scatter”.
“They were described as ‘interfering with the safety of our community,'” Daughtry wrote.
Earlier today, the NYPD received the attached letter from NYU — detailing a request to clear Gould Plaza of individuals who were refusing to comply with repeated requests to disperse. They were described as “interfering with the safety and security of our community.” Our… pic.twitter.com/oA758efW74
— NYPD Deputy Commissioner, Operations Kaz Daughtry (@NYPDDaughtry) April 23, 2024
The NYPD responded and made “numerous arrests,” Daughtry wrote.
According to a Facebook post from New York University published on Monday afternoon, Foutain Walker, head of global security for the campus, told protesters that they should vacate the plaza by 4 p.m.
However, NY1 crews did not witness the arrests until several hours after that apparent deadline.
NYU officials claimed that the demonstration began without prior notice to the university.
The protests at New York University mirror an ongoing encampment at Columbia University, where more than 100 people were detained last week.
Universities such as MIT in Massachusetts and Yale in Connecticut have joined this movement in favor of the Palestinian people.
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