More than 100 arrested in crackdowns on New York campuses not affiliated with schools: Police

More than 100 individuals arrested at protests on two campuses in New York were not affiliated with the schools, according to the mayor and commissioner of the New York Police Department (NYPD).

On Tuesday at Columbia University, city officials said 112 individuals were arrested, about 29 percent of whom were not affiliated with the school. On the same day, at the City College of New York (CCNY), 170 were arrested, around 60% of whom had no connection to the school.

The arrests were made on charges including theft, obstruction of government administration, criminal mischief, resisting arrest, trespassing and disorderly conduct.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams (D) and Police Commissioner Edward Caban said in their statement that the protests have been co-opted by outside groups.

“We have seen a change in tactics and the safety of all students, faculty, staff and the public has become a real concern. These once peaceful protests are being exploited by outside professionals and our young people are most at risk. The right to protest is fundamental to our democracy, and the NYPD’s job is to protect that right. But we will never tolerate violence, property damage or disruption of emergency services,” Caban said.

The statement also referenced the highly publicized arrests on Tuesday, when Columbia asked the NYPD to remove protesters from the camp and Hamilton Hall.

Authorities said those arrested have been uncooperative and have been told not to speak to the NYPD, so the process of identifying who is in schools and who is not is taking longer.

“As anti-Israel protests began to escalate, it became abundantly clear that individuals unaffiliated with these schools had entered these different campuses and, in some cases, were even training students in illegal protest tactics, many of which we witness it turn into violent conduct. What is now even clearer is the extent to which foreigners were actually present. Nearly half of those arrested at Columbia and City College were not affiliated with those schools,” Adams said.

The protesters denied that the demonstrations were led by anyone other than the school’s students.