Amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, a protest at Columbia University escalated as police entered the campus to address the occupation of Hamilton Hall. The protesters had renamed the building "Hind's Hall" in memory of a 6-year-old Palestinian child killed in Gaza, sparking a confrontation that led to a police response involving the clearing of the occupied building.
Images captured by live television showed police officers in tactical gear climbing into Hamilton Hall through a second-story window using a special vehicle with a ladder. The elite campus in upper Manhattan became a focal point for student protests opposing Israel's actions in Gaza, with the police intervention resulting in the arrest of about 50 protesters who were led away with their hands bound behind their backs.
The clashes between police and protesters escalated outside the building as onlooking students jeered authorities with chants of "Shame, shame!" while others voiced their support for Palestine. The incident raised tension on campus as Columbia University officials had earlier threatened academic expulsion for students involved in the occupation of Hamilton Hall.
Mayor Eric Adams and city police officials alleged that the takeover of Hamilton Hall was initiated by "outside agitators" not affiliated with Columbia University, escalating tactics within the occupation being part of the reason for police intervention. The occupation, marked by barricades, vandalism, and destruction of security cameras, drew criticism from officials who urged for a peaceful resolution amid the intensifying conflict between pro-Palestinian and Jewish students on the campus.
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