New York Police enter Columbia’s campus and arrest dozens of antisemitic intruders who occupied Butler Library

Following a formal request from Columbia University, officers from the New York Police Department (NYPD) entered the university campus on Tuesday to evict anti-Semitic demonstrators who broke into Butler Library by force, according to the university itself.

According to the New York Post, around 80 intruders were detained by authorities by Wednesday night, just hours after a large group of activists was caught on camera pushing a security guard at the main entrance of the reading room.

The police action came, according to an official statement from interim president Claire Shipman, after several unsuccessful attempts by university authorities to get the occupants to identify themselves and voluntarily leave Reading Room 301, the epicenter of the occupation by alleged trespassers from outside the university.

According to the official statement, the protesters systematically refused to cooperate with security personnel and disobeyed direct instructions.

The situation, Shipman recounted, escalated when a large group of invaders attempted to force their way into the building, creating a significant safety hazard and causing a stampede in which two Columbia Public Safety officers were injured.

"Due to the number of individuals participating in the disruption inside and outside of the building, a large group of people attempting to force their way into Butler Library creating a safety hazard, and what we believe to be the significant presence of individuals not affiliated with the University, Columbia has taken the necessary step of requesting the presence of NYPD to assist in securing the building and the safety of our community," Shipman wrote.

The university president described the incident as an unacceptable violation of academic rules and policies, emphasizing that the NYPD's presence was not the desired outcome but rather a necessary action to ensure safety and order on campus.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams condemned the invasion of the Butler Library, asserting that his administration will not tolerate anti-Semitism.

"At the written request of Columbia University, the NYPD is entering the campus to remove individuals who are trespassing," Adams said in a statement. "As I’ve said repeatedly, New York City will always defend the right to peaceful protest, but we will never tolerate lawlessness. To our Jewish New Yorkers, especially the students at Columbia who feel threatened or unsafe attending class because of these events: know that your mayor stands with you and will always work to keep you safe."

Likewise, the mayor asked parents of trespassers to warn their children to leave campus or they will face serious consequences.

"To parents of students protesting: call your children and make clear that breaking the law is wrong and they should exit the building immediately. To those protesting on campus who do not attend Columbia: exit the campus immediately, or you will be arrested. We will not tolerate hate or violence in any form in our city," the Democratic mayor warned.