NYU, The New School protesters arrested; NYPD clears encampments
- NYU, New School requested NYPD assistance with clearing encampment
- NYPD gave protesters the option to leave, many left peacefully
- Over 2,000 people have been arrested since US protests started last month
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NEW YORK (NewsNation) — New York University and The New School requested assistance from the New York Police Department to help disperse encampments on their campuses Friday.
NYPD officers cleared out the encampments, giving protesters the option to leave before escalating the situation. Many of the protesters walked away from the encampments when given the option.
However, police arrested 13 people at NYU and 43 people at The New School.
NYU administrators requested that the NYPD “take enforcement action accordingly up to and including arrest” if protesters didn’t vacate the encampment voluntarily.
“As per their request, we are on site and our officers will be assisting with the unparalleled professionalism embodied by our police officers,” NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Operations Kaz Daughtry posted to X on Friday morning.
An encampment set up by NYU students swelled to hundreds of protesters late last week. Police said 133 protesters had been taken into custody April 24. They said all were released with summonses to appear in court on disorderly conduct charges.
Two weeks ago, protesters came to an agreement with The New School to move their demonstration in exchange for a meeting with university officials. However, less than 24 hours later, protesters violated that agreement and escalated the situation by setting up a second encampment on campus, The New School said.
The clear-outs come after it was revealed an NYPD officer accidentally fired their gun while dispersing protesters in Hamilton Hall at Columbia University earlier this week.
Around 300 people were arrested at Columbia and City College on Tuesday night, according to the NYPD.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – APRIL 29: Students at the New York University Gaza Solidarity encampment dance in the rain to arabic music, April 29, 2024, on the New York University campus, New York City. Pro-Palestinian demonstrators marched as a 2 p.m. deadline to clear an encampment given to students by the university passed. The students were given a suspension warning if they did not meet the deadline. Students at Columbia were the first from an elite college to erect an encampment in support of Palestine with students demanding that the school divest from Israel amid the Israel-Hamas war, in which more than 34,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip. (Photo by Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty Images) 
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – APRIL 29: Students at the New York University Gaza Solidarity encampment dance in the rain to arabic music, April 29, 2024, on the New York University campus, New York City. Pro-Palestinian demonstrators marched as a 2 p.m. deadline to clear an encampment given to students by the university passed. The students were given a suspension warning if they did not meet the deadline. Students at Columbia were the first from an elite college to erect an encampment in support of Palestine with students demanding that the school divest from Israel amid the Israel-Hamas war, in which more than 34,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip. (Photo by Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty Images)
Demonstrations across the nation
Universities across the U.S. have been grappling with how to deal with encampments as commencement ceremonies approach, with some continuing negotiations and others turning to force and ultimatums that have resulted in clashes with police.
The number of arrests at campuses nationwide has exceeded 2,000 as the final days of class wrap up.
The outcry has forced colleges to reckon with their financial ties to Israel as well as their support for free speech. Some Jewish students have said the protests have veered into antisemitism and made them afraid to set foot on campus.
Some student demonstrators held signs saying “Jews for Free Palestine” or “Jews for Palestine,” while pictures on social media circulated of Passover seders being held at the encampments.
Protesters have said, though, that those being antisemitic do not represent them and pointed out that many Jewish students are joining them in their cause.
NewsNation affiliate WPIX and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
