On April 30, 2024, the New York Police Department arrested nearly 200 demonstrators, including 54 faculty and staff members and 34 students affiliated with the City University of New York (CUNY) system, who were participating in a pro-Palestinian protest at the City College of New York in Harlem.
On April 25, a group of students and faculty members, along with community members, established a Gaza solidarity encampment on City College’s campus to demand that the administration disclose its investments and divest from companies that profit from Israeli military action. Video footage from the first day shows that more than hundred people joined the protest, which remained largely peaceful and consisted of protesters chanting, holding signs, and giving speeches. The City College president, Vincent Boudreau, also asserted that the protest was peaceful and largely focused on teach-ins, communal meals and singing. During the first day, CUNY public safety officers were present on campus, but after an officer pushed a protester, the President requested the officers pull away from the encampment, stating that the limited number of officers could not control the protest safely. The encampment continued for several more days.
On April 30, the situation escalated after a small group of protesters, half of whom were affiliated with the broader CUNY system, entered a campus administration building and barricaded themselves inside. The protesters caused damage to furniture and computers. Shortly thereafter, CUNY public safety officers began to remove the barricades. Video footage shows that the officers used a chemical irritant on protesters who refused to move. A clash between protesters and CUNY safety officers ensued.
Shortly after the clash, university administrators requested NYPD assistance to dismantle the encampment and shut down the protest. Around midnight, hundreds of officers, clad in riot gear, began clearing the encampment and forcibly arrested around 200 individuals. Reports suggest that during the sweep, police used batons, pepper spray, and “kettling”–a tactic used by police departments where officers aim to contain protesters in one place by forming a barrier around them–in an attempt to remove the crowd.
Among the nearly 200 individuals arrested, 22 individuals were charged with burglary, five others were charged with second-degree assault, and one person was charged with criminal possession of a weapon. In June, Manhattan’s District Attorney dismissed the charges against nine of the protesters, but decided to continue to pursue felony charges of ten. Several other defendants were offered the opportunity for their charges to be fully dismissed if they completed a six-month probationary period and an in-person class about “peaceful and legal protest.”
Scholars at Risk is concerned about the disproportionate use of force to disperse students exercising their rights to freedom of expression—conduct that is expressly protected by international human rights instruments and the constitution of the United States. While state authorities have the responsibility to maintain order and prevent disruption, they must refrain from the disproportionate use of force and endangerment of civilians. Such actions, beyond harming the immediate victim, have a chilling effect on academic freedom and undermine democratic society generally.
Sources:
https://www.thecity.nyc/2024/05/13/city-college-palestine-encampment-nypd/
https://nypost.com/2024/04/25/us-news/anti-israel-protesters-set-up-city-college-encampment/
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/30/nyregion/city-college-harlem-arrests.html?smid
https://www.chronicle.com/article/the-tipping-point-why-one-college-decided-to-call-the-cops-on-protesters
https://psccunygc.commons.gc.cuny.edu/2024/05/07/letter-to-president-brumberg/
https://www.instagram.com/p/C6M5mqku7kE/
https://www.ccnycampus.org/articles/nights-at-the-encampment-before-april-30
https://www.nycitynewsservice.com/2024/05/04/pepper-spray-and-surging-crowds-videos-show-flashpoints-at-city-college/
https://www.columbiaspectator.com/city-news/2024/07/31/ten-city-college-protesters-decline-offer-from-manhattan-da-set-to-appear-before-jury-in-september/
https://www.columbiaspectator.com/city-news/2024/06/13/manhattan-das-office-drops-charges-against-seven-protesters-at-city-college-10-still-face-felony-charges/
https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/police-brutality-columbia-university-ccny-arrests-nypd-spg