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NYPD officers arrest Columbia protesters after school asks for help ending occupation
New York police entered Hamilton Hall, the administration building that protesters began occupying on Tuesday morning, at Columbia University.
Photo: Getty Images / Kena Betancur
Across the country at UCLA, riot police have arrived after groups of protesters clashed
The pro-Palestinian demonstration that paralyzed Columbia University ended in dramatic fashion, with police carrying riot shields bursting into a building that protesters took over the previous night and making dozens of arrests. On the other side of the country, clashes broke out early Wednesday between duelling groups at the University of California, Los Angeles.
NYPD officers acted after the school's president said there was no other way to ensure safety and restore order on campus and sought help from the department. The occupation of the building came as demonstrators spread out from an encampment elsewhere on the Ivy League school's grounds.
School officials asked law enforcement to stay on the Columbia campus through May 17, the end of the university's commencement events.
Columbia's protests began earlier this month and kicked off demonstrations that now span from California to Massachusetts. As May commencement ceremonies near, administrators face added pressure to clear protesters.
WATCH | Police enter Columbia University building:
NYPD storm Hamilton Hall to remove pro-Palestinian protesters
CBC News was on the scene as New York police entered Hamilton Hall, the administration building that protesters began occupying on Tuesday morning, at Columbia University.
The scene unfolded shortly after 9 p.m. ET as police, wearing helmets and carrying zip ties and riot shields, massed at the Ivy League university's entrance. Officers breached Hamilton Hall, an administration building on campus that demonstrators had occupied more than 12 hours earlier, to clear out the structure.
The move came hours after NYPD brass said officers wouldn't enter the campus without the administration's request or an imminent emergency. Police spokesperson Carlos Nieves said he had no immediate reports of any injuries
