More than 100 protesters arrested at Columbia University and City College of New York, reports say
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- Dozens of arrests have reportedly been made at Columbia University after NYPD cleared protesters.
- Pro-Palestinian protesters had barricaded themselves in Hamilton Hall, a main campus building.
- Arrests were also made at the City College of New York, reports said.
More than 100 people were arrested at Columbia University and the City College of New York on Tuesday, multiple news organizations reported.
The arrests followed a student occupation of Hamilton Hall, one of Columbia University's main campus buildings.
Columbia has been rocked by protests over the Israel-Hamas war, following Hamas' October 7 terror attack.
NYPD in riot gear were called to clear the protesters
On Tuesday evening, NYPD officers in riot gear reportedly entered Hamilton Hall, where protesters had been camping out for around 20 hours.
CNN reported that the NYPD said its officers used loud distraction devices, "flash-bang grenades" to disperse the protesters who had barricaded themselves in the building.
A law enforcement official told CNN that more than 100 arrests were made at Columbia and the City College of New York. Business Insider has contacted the NYPD to try to confirm the number of arrests.
Columbia's president, Nemat "Minouche" Shafik released a letter to the NYPD on Tuesday, which requested that police remain on the campus until May 17, two days after the graduation ceremony.
"The takeover of Hamilton Hall and the continued encampments raise serious safety concerns for the individuals involved and the entire community," part of the letter read.
Protests have also occurred at other campuses. In Los Angeles, police were called to the UCLA campus early Wednesday after violence broke out when counter-protesters tried to tear down barricades at the pro-Palestinian encampment, the LA Times reported.