Dozens of Pro-Palestinian demonstrators arrested at Columbia University

The New York police have arrested dozens of Pro-Palestinian demonstrators after they had occupied part of the main library at Columbia University on Wednesday.

Two university security officials were injured when demonstrators forced their way to Butler Library on Wednesday, according to a statement by university President Claire Shipman, who called their actions “scandalous”.

Video that was placed on social media showed channels of demonstrators who entered the library, many wore Keffiyeh header and masks, with a ban imposed by the Trump administration.

Mrs. Shipman said she asked the NYPD for help and added that many of the demonstrators were not students.

More than 70 protesters were arrested by the police, Columbia Spectator reported a campus newspaper.

“At the direct request of Columbia University, the NYPD responds to a current situation on the campus where individuals have occupied a library and are violating”, the NYPD posted on X.

Videos of the protests showed protesters who destroyed bookshelves by writing “Free Palestine”.

Another clip showed that public safety officers blocked the exit of the library door and asked them to show their Columbia IDs or facial arrest, which led to an hour -long impasse.

The president of Columbia said that although the protest was isolated to one room in the library, “it is completely unacceptable that some people choose to disturb academic activities while our students are studying and preparing for final exams”.

Mrs Shipman, who took over the role in March after the previous president resigned, asked the students to stay away from the library.

“We will not tolerate hatred or violence in any form in our city,” said Mayor Eric Adams in New York City in a post on X.

In a position on social media, the demonstrators accused the university of “violent repression” and said they had refused to show their IDs to police and campus public safety officers.

It is the first time that Columbia University has called the NYPD for a protest on campus since April 2024, when Pro-Palestinian demonstrators Hamilton Hall occupied almost 24 hours.

Columbia has pulled anger from US President Donald Trump, who claims that many universities have tolerated anti -Semitism and intimidation of Jewish students.

Trump has already threatened to withhold around $ 400 million (£ 309 million) in federal financing for Columbia, because his administration continues to focus on those involved in earlier campus protests with deportation.

In March, Columbia agreed with different requirements of the Trump administration, including a ban on face masks in protests and a change in supervision of some academic programs, after the administration said it was planning to keep millions of federal funds.

It is unclear whether the money will be repaired, although a lawsuit has been filed by some faculty members about the cuts.

New York College was the epicenter of Pro-Palestinian protests against the war in Gaza and the American support for Israel at university campuses last year.

On Tuesday, Trump also terminated $ 2.2 billion in taxpayers funds at Harvard University after ordering an evaluation of its federal financing.

The Trump government has warned 60 universities that financing can be canceled if accusations of anti -Semitism on campuses are not tackled.