Police Arrest Student Protesters, Clear Occupied Building At Columbia University

A large number of New York police officials entered Columbia University’s campus on Wednesday to clear a building inside the campus barricaded and occupied by the pro-Palestine student protesters.

The protesting students had taken over the Hamilton Hall on the Columbia University campus on Tuesday.

The police officials started clearing the occupied building and arrested several protesters. According to Reuters, over 50 protesters have been detained so far.

Dozens of university campuses across the US have experienced large-scale protests against Israel’s war in Gaza. Students continue their protest despite threats of expulsion from university administrations.

The White House had criticized the storming of Hamilton Hall calling it the “the wrong approach.” “We certainly respect the right of peaceful protests. We absolutely condemn the anti-Semitism language that we’ve heard of late and certainly condemn all the hate speech and the threats of violence out there,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said.