New York City Police officers arrested dozens of demonstrators after they entered the campus of Columbia University in an effort to disperse pro-Palestine protesters who occupied the iconic Hamilton Hall. This comes after university authorities threatened to expel the anti-Israel protesters to end their occupation of the building that has had a long-standing connection with students' activism.
The police added that it was still monitoring different locations for protesters across New York City.
Here are the latest developments:
Shortly before officers entered the campus, the New York Police Department received a notice from Columbia authorising officers to take action, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press.
In an email notice on Tuesday evening, the Columbia administration said "students occupying the building face expulsion", Reuters reported. The protesters had "chosen to escalate an untenable situation" and that the school's top priority was "restoring safety and order on our campus", it added.
As the students continued to occupy Hamilton Hall, pizzas and other food and supplies were sent to the protesters inside the building in a plastic crate dangled from a pulley rope suspended from an upper-floor balcony.
