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After an anti-Israel protest escalated at New York University on Monday – requiring city police presence – the university released a statement explaining while it supports students’ rights to protest, safety remains its priority.
This comes after the New York City Police Department arrested numerous people following a request from NYU for police to clear Gould Plaza of people refusing orders to leave the area, including many suspected of having no affiliation with the university.
“Today’s events did not need to lead to this outcome,” NYU spokesperson John Beckman said in a statement.
Mass arrests began around 8:30 p.m. and, within an hour, the demonstration had largely fizzled out. The university is one of several campuses nationwide that has been embroiled in protests against Israel’s ongoing war against Hamas in Gaza.
The university told protesters that they needed to leave the plaza by 4 p.m. for there to be no consequences from the school or police.
Many protesters still refused to leave, and the university was made aware of “intimidating chants and several antisemitic incidents.”
Officers with the NYPD arrested numerous people participating in an anti-Israel protest on the campus of NYU on Monday. (Julia Bonavita/Fox News Digital)
In response to these reports and safety issues raised by the breach, the university requested assistance from the NYPD, who initially urged people on the plaza to leave peacefully before ultimately making several arrests.
“We will continue to support individuals’ right to freedom of expression, and, as we have said since October, the safety of our students and maintaining an equitable learning environment remain paramount,” Beckman said, referring to the initial response to protests following Hamas terrorists’ Oct. 7 attack against Israel, which started the ongoing war in the Middle East.
