Columbia University asks NYPD to help clear pro-Palestinian demonstrators from campus library

Columbia University requested help from the New York City Police Department to clear pro-Palestinian demonstrators out of the campus library Wednesday evening.

“Due to the number of individuals participating in the disruption inside and outside of the building, a large group of people attempting to force their way into Butler Library creating a safety hazard, and what we believe to be the significant presence of individuals not affiliated with the University, Columbia has taken the necessary step of requesting the presence of NYPD to assist in securing the building and the safety of our community,” Acting University President Claire Shipman said, in part, in a statement.

She added, “Requesting the presence of the NYPD is not the outcome we wanted, but it was absolutely necessary to secure the safety of our community.”

NYPD officers were seen removing dozens of protesters from the library.

Video shows protesters flooding into Columbia’s Butler Library

Video shows protesters storming Butler Library earlier in the afternoon, occupying one of the building’s rooms and vandalizing property.

A university spokesperson said the school’s public safety team quickly responded. According to the university, protesters were asked to show their IDs and disperse. The university said protesters’ identification “will be recorded.”

As of early evening, no protesters had chosen to identify themselves and leave, the university said. Protesters were told failure to comply may result in arrests, the school added.

Individuals who were in the library but not involved in the protest were allowed to leave, the university said.

First responders were seen taking someone out of the library on a stretcher, and a fire alarm was heard going off inside.

As the protest was going on inside, a large crowd of protesters gathered outside the library, apparently trying to push their way inside.

Shipman said two Columbia public safety officers were injured “during a crowd surge when individuals attempted to force their way into the building and into Room 301.”

Demonstrations outside campus also intensified with protesters and police pushing each other with barricades.

Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a post on X that she has been briefed on the situation and is “grateful to public safety officials for keeping students safe.”

“Everyone has the right to peacefully protest. But violence, vandalism or destruction of property are completely unacceptable,” she wrote.

Mayor Eric Adams released the following statement:

“At the written request of Columbia University, the NYPD is entering the campus to remove individuals who are trespassing.

“As I’ve said repeatedly, New York City will always defend the right to peaceful protest, but we will never tolerate lawlessness. To our Jewish New Yorkers, especially the students at Columbia who feel threatened or unsafe attending class because of these events:  know that your mayor stands with you and will always work to keep you safe.

“To parents of students protesting: call your children and make clear that breaking the law is wrong and they should exit the building immediately. To those protesting on campus who do not attend Columbia:  exit the campus immediately or you will be arrested. We will not tolerate hate or violence in any form in our city.”

Pro-Palestinian demonstrations at Columbia University

It was all happening while the school is in a pre-final exams reading week.

“While this is isolated to one room in the library, it is completely unacceptable that some individuals are choosing to disrupt academic activities as our students are studying and preparing for final exams. These disruptions of our campus and academic activities will not be tolerated. Individuals found to be in violation of University Rules and policies will face disciplinary consequences. We ask our community members to please avoid the immediate area near Butler Library in the near term,” a university spokesperson said, in part.

Student Eden Yadegar was studying for exams in the library when the protesters arrived and was stunned by their actions.

“All of a sudden, I was walking through the lobby and a group of a few dozen who I would assume are students, covered in masks and hoodies and whatnot, stormed through the entrance,” she said. “They were hanging up banners all throughout the room, including one that pictured the state of Israel and said, ‘There is only one state,’ something like that, and overall just causing a disturbance.”

Many protesters were seen wearing masks. Columbia announced a mask ban earlier this year as part of the new policies enacted under the Trump administration’s demands.

Columbia University has been in the crosshairs of the Trump administration in the wake of last year’s pro-Palestinian campus protests, threatening to withhold hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding if certain changes weren’t implemented at the school. Two prominent student activists were also arrested by federal immigration authorities, Mahmoud Khalil and Mohsen Mahdawi.

Stay with CBS News New York for the latest on this developing story.

Ali Bauman

Ali Bauman is a New York Emmy and Edward R. Murrow Award-winning journalist who has been a general assignment reporter for CBS News New York since spring 2016.