Anti-Israel protestors armed with flares marched toward NYPD headquarters just hours after riot-gear-wearing officers stormed an NYU protest ‘Gaza Solidarity’ encampment protest on Monday night, arresting dozens of faculty and staff members.
The streets were lit up in orange as marchers waved Palestinians flags while holding flares in the air and banging a drum walking through Chinatown to reach One Police Plaza in New York City.
Earlier on the NYU campus in Greenwich Village, police officers in riot gear were forced to use zip ties to detain protesters, marching them onto police buses after warnings to leave the area were ignored.
The protest, involving hundreds, began at 6am with a group setting up tents at NYU’s Gould Plaza demanding the university divest from any Israel-related holdings. It was done in solidarity with similar protests at other campuses, including Columbia University.
The number of participants at the NYU protest grew throughout the day on Monday with hundreds of anti-Israel activists gathered by nightfall – all ignoring pleas by university staff and security to leave.
It culminated in clashes with law enforcement – after the university requested officers break up the protest. Videos captured the shocking moment cops flooded the protest, tipping tents and making arrests as protestors carried Palestine flags and chanted.
Students could be seen gathering at the steps outside of NYU’s Stern School of Business earlier and appeared to be joined by some faculty members.
Some protesters could be heard chanting, ‘from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free’ – a slogan that many regard as a call to genocide.
Others could be seen stepping on Israel’s flag.
NYU’s head of security said that administrators ‘witnessed disorderly, disruptive and antagonizing behavior that has interfered with the safety and security of our community.’
Anti-Israel protesters march through China Town with flares, reportedly headed toward NYPD headquarters
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) April 23, 2024
The NYPD could be heard using a megaphone telling students: ‘You have been warned by New York University to leave the area.’
Those who did not leave soon, would be arrested for trespassing, NYPD said.
In a statement on Instagram on Monday, New York University officials warned protesters to clear the plaza by 4pm or face consequences. Mass arrests began around 8:30pm.
NYU’s Global Campus Safety posted on Instagram that protesters had breached the barriers set up at Gould Plaza, Fountain Walker.
‘The one safety requirement we made was that no additional protestors could enter Gould Plaza. With the breach of the barricades early this afternoon, that requirement was violated, and we witnessed disorderly, disruptive, and antagonizing behavior that has interfered with the safety and security of our community,’ the university said in a statement.
‘We cannot tolerate people getting hurt. You will need to clear the plaza by 4pm. If you leave now, no one will face any consequences for today’s actions—no discipline, no police.’
As the arrests happened, NYPD officials released a letter from NYU officials asking them to come to the campus.
‘We have repeatedly asked all the individuals to leave Gould Plaza,’ the letter read. ‘They have ignored our requests.’
‘At this point we consider all the protestors occupying Gould Plaza to be trespassers and we would like the NYPD to clear the area and to take action to remove the protestors. In the event they refuse to leave, we request the NYPD take enforcement action accordingly up to and including arrest.’
After the police raid, protestors armed with flares were seen walking through Chinatown armed with Palestinian flags, heading toward 1 Police Plaza.
