Eric Adams says 'outside agitators' are behind Columbia antisemitic protests
“There were individuals on the campus who should not have been there. They were people who are professionals and we saw evidence of training,” said the Mayor of New York.
Eric Adams, alcalde de Nueva York. (AFP)
Following the massive police operation at Columbia University that led to the arrest of more than 100 antisemitic protesters, New York Mayor Eric Adams revealed this Wednesday that "outside agitators" came to the university campus to radicalize students and generate violent anti-Israel protests.
Adams' remarks come after 109 people were arrested on Columbia's campus. The city police responded to the request of university authorities to help with the eviction of a mob of antisemites who had illegally taken over the academic building Hamilton Hall on Tuesday night.
The Democrat blamed outside agitators for the violent situation on campus, saying they have a "history of escalating situations and trying to create chaos."
"There were individuals on the campus who should not have been there. They were people who are professionals and we saw evidence of training," Adams said. "I know that there are those who are attempting to say, 'Well, the majority of people may have been students.' You don't have to be the majority to influence and co-op an operation. That is what this about."
"This is a global problem that young people are being influenced by those who are professionals at radicalizing our children and I'm not going to allow that to happen as the mayor of the city of New York," continued the mayor, who also revealed that the police Columbia once the administration authorized the entry of law enforcement to control external agitators.
“We went in and conducted an operation to allow the university to remove those who have turned the peaceful protest into a place where antisemitism and anti-Israeli attitudes were based.”
Adams not only referred to the police operation in Columbia but also to the events that occurred at the City College of New York, where 173 protesters were arrested after violent events unfolded in the night.
In particular, Adams referred to the moment when a mob decided to tear down an American flag to raise a Palestinian one at City College.
"That's our flag folks. Who would take over our buildings and put another flag up? It may be fine to other people but not to me," Adams said. "It's despicable that schools will allow another country's flag to fly in our country. We are not surrendering our way of life to anyone."
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