Columbia University Calls in NYPD to Clear Out Protesters from Library After Campus Security Officers Injured

Photos and video posted on social media Wednesday showed pro-Palestinian protesters enter a Columbia University library and tussle with security when they were asked to present identification and leave. After several hours, the university called in the New York Police Department.

The protesters entered Butler Library, located on the southwestern edge of the university’s campus in upper Manhattan, on Wednesday afternoon. Many appeared to be wearing masks or scarves covering their faces.

This week, Columbia began its final exam period, which will run through mid-May, so the library was full of students studying.

Many photos and videos were posted on social media from a variety of sources, including students who had been studying in the library, the protesters themselves, Jewish student groups, student reporters, and local NYC journalists.

Several shots showed protesters vandalizing with graffiti in red and green ink on furniture, framed photos on the library walls, and shelves, writing slogans like “COLUMBIA WILL BURN 4 THE MARTYRS” and “FREE PALESTINE.” The protesters said they were renaming the library and posted a list of demands, including the removal of all police and Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers from campus, to end Columbia’s “occupation” of Harlem, and amnesty for protesters.

Protesters repeated chants that included “globalize the intifada” and “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free, from the sea to the river, Palestine will live forever” — a slogan that has been criticized as anti-Semitic and supporting the elimination of Israel.

University administration issued a statement on what it described as a “disruption” in the library’s reading room, and posted it online.

The statement said that the protesters were being asked for identification and “asked to disperse,” with noncompliance being enforced by university rule violations and “possible arrest”:

Unfortunately, the University is dealing with a disruption in reading room 301 of Butler Library. Columbia’s Public Safety Team is responding and working to mitigate the situation. Individuals have been asked for identification, which will be recorded, and asked to disperse. They have been told that failure to comply will result in violations of our rules and policies and possible arrest. No individuals who have been protesting in the reading room, have chosen, at this point, to identify themselves and depart. Individuals who were not involved in the protest have been allowed to leave. While this is isolated to one room in the library, it is completely unacceptable that some individuals are choosing to disrupt academic activities as our students are studying and preparing for final exams. These disruptions of our campus and academic activities will not be tolerated. Individuals found to be in violation of University Rules and policies will face disciplinary consequences. We ask our community members to please avoid the immediate area near Butler Library in the near term.

Campus security used a bullhorn to announce that protesters “will be arrested for trespass” if they do not provide identification and leave. Several protesters can be heard shouting back.

Several video clips showed the protesters shouting at the campus security officers, occasionally using profanity, as well as some shoving and tussles as protesters inside the library attempted to leave without sharing their identification and protesters outside the library attempted to enter to join the others. At some point, campus security put handcuffs on the library entrance doors to prevent more protesters from entering.

(Above video clip originally tweeted by @CUJewsIsraelis; reposted here to rotate clip to proper orientation without other edits.)

As the protest continued, someone pulled a fire alarm in the library.

Shortly before 7:00 pm ET on Wednesday evening, Columbia posted a statement from Acting President Claire Shipman saying that the university had called the NYPD for assistance after what she described as “outrageous” actions by the protesters that resulted in two campus security officers being injured.

The text of the statement read:

I want to update the community on the latest information regarding the disruption at Butler Library. The individuals who disrupted activities in Butler Reading Room 301 still refuse to identify themselves and leave the building. Due to the number of individuals participating in the disruption inside and outside of the building, a large group of people attempting to force their way into Butler Library creating a safety hazard, and what we believe to be the significant presence of individuals not affiliated with the University, Columbia has taken the necessary step of requesting the presence of NYPD to assist in securing the building and the safety of our community.

Sadly, during the course of this disruption, two of our Columbia Public Safety Officers sustained injuries during a crowd surge when individuals attempted to force their way into the building and into Room 301. These actions are outrageous.

Individuals participating in the Reading Room 301 disruption were repeatedly asked for identification and to leave, and were repeatedly told that failure to comply would result in violations of our rules and policies and possible arrest for trespassing. We have been clear from the outset about applying our protocols and advising participants of the potential consequences of not complying. Requesting the presence of the NYPD is not the outcome we wanted, but it was absolutely necessary to secure the safety of our community.

Disruptions to our academic activities will not be tolerated and are violations of our rules and policies; this is especially unacceptable while our students study and prepare for final exams. Columbia strongly condemns violence on our campus, antisemitism and all forms of hate and discrimination, some of which we witnessed today. We are resolute that calls for violence or harm have no place at our University. We will continue to keep our community apprised as the situation evolves.

Sincerely,

Claire Shipman
Acting President, Columbia University in the City of New York

Video posted from outside the library showed dozens of NYPD officers entering the building.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams tweeted a statement that the NYPD was entering the campus after Columbia’s “written request” to “remove individuals who are trespassing.”

This is a developing news story and has been updated.