Dozens of young pro-Palestine protestors took over Barnard College again Wednesday afternoon, this time storming the school’s library center — but a bomb threat ended the siege with a police response that led to numerous arrests.
Concealing themselves behind face masks, hoods and other head coverings, about 50 protestors loudly barged into the Milstein Library at the Columbia University-affiliated school just before 2 p.m. on March 5, according to law enforcement sources.
They repeatedly shouted, “Free Palestine!” as they circled the room, which was filled with students studying and reading. Nearby, students were in class, facilities were cleaning classrooms, and dining staff were preparing meals, according to a school statement.
Although they were mostly covered, the demonstrators appeared to be college-age young adults. Online videos show protestors banging individual drums as the group continued chanting while other students exited the building.
“Barnard is committed to fostering a safe environment where all students can learn and all members of our community are respected,” a statement from the school read. “Our academic mission is at the heart of what we do, and disruptions to that mission are an affront to the purpose of higher education and cannot be tolerated.”
The incident comes on the heels of a violent Feb. 26 protest in which pro-Palestinian students forced their way into the school’s Milbank Hall and allegedly assaulted a staff member.
The protest also follows the expulsion of a student last week who participated in demonstrations at the school last year, according to an article in Middle East Eye.
“Barnard College’s expulsion of a student for protesting the genocide in Palestine is not just an attack on that student’s rights — it is part of a larger, systematic effort to silence and punish anyone who dares to speak out against Israeli apartheid and genocide,” Afaf Nasher, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said in a statement on Wednesday.
He added that politics were behind the dismissal.
Bomb threat ends the chaos
As the protesters took hold of the library, Barnard College reportedly received a bomb threat just before 5 p.m. on March 6, leading to an order for all persons to evacuate the library.
The reported threat prompted a massive response by the NYPD’s Strategic Response Team, which rushed onto the campus and began forcibly removing individuals who were occupied there.
However, NYPD also began pushing the media back from the sidewalk outside of the school, preventing journalists from viewing the ensuing chaos.
“What are you not wanting us to see?” one photojournalist could be heard asking as he was shoved back.
Inside the grounds, SRG reportedly wrestled with students, shoving some out of the gates and arresting others in the pouring rainfall. Cops in riot gear flooded every entry and exit point.
“Where is the bomb? Where is the threat?” a female student asked.
Cops then drove a van behind the school and looked to load the arrested students out of the view of the media while also looking to block sidewalks and roads.
In response to the incident, the NYPD released a statement: “The NYPD was present at the campus for a bomb threat. Individuals were given a lawful order to move to a safe distance. Multiple individuals who did not comply with the lawful order were taken into custody. Charges are pending.”
This story was updated on March 5 at 6:45 p.m.
