(MENAFN- AsiaNet News) Hundreds of police officers in riot gear descended upon Columbia University's campus in New York City on Tuesday night, arresting dozens of pro-Palestine demonstrators and clearing a building that had been seized by protesters around 20 hours earlier.
The demonstrators had occupied Hamilton Hall, a building on Columbia's Upper Manhattan campus, escalating a crisis at the university and sparking student activism across campuses nationwide.
Police officials broke a second-floor window to enter the building and escorted protesters, their hands bound with zip ties, onto law enforcement buses.
More than 100 protesters were arrested at Columbia University and City College of New York, with the majority of arrests occurring at Columbia, where around two dozen demonstrators attempted to block officers from entering the campus.
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Amidst the chaos, a Columbia University protester demanding food and water be brought to their encampment so they don't 'die of dehydration and starvation' has sparked a massive backlash on social media. A spokesperson for the protesters
insisted
that Columbia is still, 'obligated to provide food to students who pay for a meal plan'.
"Do you want students to die of dehydration and starvation or get severely ill even if you disagree with them?" the
brazen spokesperson rhetorically asked Columbia university leaders.
"If the answer is no then you should allow basic, it's crazy to say because we're on an Ivy League campus, but this is basic humanitarian aid we're asking for. Could people please just have a glass of water?" the spokesperson added.
The spokesperson spoke to the gathered media at Hamilton Hall, fielding their questions regarding the ongoing occupation.
"It's a question of what kind of community and obligation Columbia has to its students.
We're asking them to not violently stop us bringing in basic humanitarian aid," she said.
The spokesperson's comments sparked a massive outrage on social media with one user stating, "This Hamas supporting student is demanding that Columbia provide and allow“humanitarian aid” to the rioters who broke into and barred entry to a campus building or else the university“wants students to die”. This level of performative victimhood and gaslighting is mind blowing."
"Columbia pro-terrorists students are demanding humanitarian aid right now! Where are the aid trucks?? Where is UNRWA? This is apartheid, genocide, mass-starvation and brutal occupation! These students just violently took over the university, they attack and assault Jewish students, they call for violence and intifada. But does it mean that Israel, oh, I'm sorry, USA, is not obligated to provide them meals three or four times a day?? Don't forget vegan options!!! And ask them about their meal preferences!!!" said another irked user on X.
A third user noted, "Irony just died a thousand deaths: pro Hamas anarchists who terrorize Jews at #Columbia_University demand food, water and humanitarian aid. You can't make this stuff up."
"Pro-Hamas Columbia students - who barricaded themselves inside the university - demand the school provide them with food and“humanitarian aid.” Attack Jews. Invade territory. Praise martyrdom. Cry victim. Whine. And demand help. They have become Hamas," said a fourth irked user.
The occupation marked a significant escalation of the unrest that has unsettled the campus in recent weeks, stemming from the emergence of an encampment on the South Lawns on April 17th.
Protesters are demanding that Columbia divest from companies with ties to Israel or firms profiting from its war on Hamas.
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Meanwhile, the
university stated that it called the police to campus for the second time in less than two weeks after its building was vandalized and blockaded by protesters.
In a letter to the New York Police Department, Columbia University's president Nemat Shafik said these actions“have become a magnet for protesters outside our gates, which creates significant risk to our campus.”
Police presence on campus will continue until May 17 to prevent further encampments or occupations.
Both Hamilton Hall and the protest encampment at the university have been entirely cleared of students, leaving only tents and personal belongings behind.
NYPD spokesman Carlos Nieves reported no immediate injuries following the arrests.
Earlier, the White House condemned the seizure of Hamilton Hall, labeling it as "absolutely the wrong approach." A spokesman emphasized that the act did not exemplify peaceful protest.
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