New York police in full riot gear stormed Columbia College and the Metropolis School of New York Tuesday night time, arresting over 300 college students to interrupt up Gaza solidarity encampments on the 2 campuses. The police raid started on the request of Columbia President Minouche Shafik, who has additionally requested the police to stay a presence on campus till at the very least Might 17 to make sure solidarity encampments usually are not reestablished earlier than the tip of the time period. Police additionally raided CUNY after the administration made an analogous name for the police to enter campus. Democracy Now! was on the streets exterior Columbia on Tuesday night time and spoke with individuals who have been out in assist of the scholar protests as police have been making arrests. We additionally communicate with two Columbia College college students who witnessed the police crackdown. “When the police arrived, they have been extraordinarily environment friendly in eradicating all eyewitnesses, together with authorized observers,” says journalism pupil Gillian Goodman, who has been protecting the protests for weeks and who says she and others slept on campus so as to have the ability to proceed protection and keep away from being locked out. We additionally hear from Cameron Jones, a Columbia School pupil with Jewish Voice for Peace, who responds to claims of antisemitism, saying, “There’s a massive anti-Zionist Jewish voice on campus, and it’s additionally essential to acknowledge the distinction between anti-Zionism and antisemitism.”
TRANSCRIPT
It is a rush transcript. Copy is probably not in its closing kind.
AMY GOODMAN: A whole lot of scholars at Columbia College and Metropolis College of New York have been arrested final night time after a whole bunch of cops, carrying shields and in full riot gear, raided Columbia to interrupt up a Gaza Solidarity Encampment arrange virtually two weeks in the past that has impressed related encampments in over 40 universities throughout the nation, together with CUNY. College students at Columbia took over Hamilton Corridor a day earlier, after the varsity started suspending college students who refused to depart the Gaza Solidarity Encampment. College students renamed the constructing Hind’s Corridor in honor of Hind Rajab, a 6-year-old Palestinian woman killed by the Israeli navy in Gaza.
The police raid started after Columbia College President Minouche Shafik despatched a letter to the New York Metropolis Police Division calling for the encampment and Hamilton Corridor to be cleared. She wrote, quote, “I’ve decided that the constructing occupation, the encampments, and associated disruptions pose a transparent and current hazard to individuals, property, and the substantial functioning of the College,” unquote. President Shafik additionally requested the police to stay a presence on campus till at the very least Might 17 — two days after commencement — to make sure, she stated, that solidarity encampments usually are not reestablished. Columbia’s commencement is scheduled for Might fifteenth.
A whole lot of officers entered the campus via the primary gates and encircled the encampment inside final night time. Police additionally pulled a truck exterior Hamilton Corridor, prolonged a ladder to a second-story window for a stream of officers to climb into the constructing.
Additional uptown from Columbia, on the Metropolis School of New York, police in riot gear raided the Gaza solidarity encampment after the administration made an analogous name for the police to enter campus. Scores of scholars and CUNY group members have been arrested. In a single day, the division shared a video on social media exhibiting officers decreasing a Palestinian flag atop the town school flagpole, balling it up and throwing it to the bottom earlier than elevating the American flag.
Over the previous two weeks, police have swept via different campuses holding peaceable Gaza solidarity encampments throughout the nation. Over 1,200 college students and others have been arrested.
In second, we’ll be joined by two Columbia College college students who have been on campus in the course of the police raid. However first, Democracy Now! was on the streets final night time exterior Columbia.
AMY GOODMAN: I’m Amy Goodman from Democracy Now! We’re standing at 113th and Broadway. It’s about 10:30 at night time. The riot police have lined up right here, and it’s a full frozen zone from right here as much as Columbia College. We perceive that they’ve moved in on Hamilton Corridor, that the scholars have occupied. And we perceive arrests are underway, although we haven’t seen it. There was a gaggle of protesters right here, however they are saying they’re going to do jail assist. They’re happening to 1 Police Plaza. Let’s see if we will discover them and ask them why they’re out right here.
PROTESTERS: Palestine won’t ever fall! From the ocean to the river!
AMY GOODMAN: What’s your title?
JEANNIE JAY PARK: I’m Jeannie. I’m an organizer with Warriors within the Backyard. I’m a first-generation Korean American. I’m a shamed alumni of NYU. We’re out right here as folks whose ethnic roots originate within the International South to face towards settler colonialism, as a result of irrespective of the way it seems to be, in each kind, it kills, and we won’t be complicit anymore. And this can be a very historic second, the place our youth in our nation are main the revolution. And it’s all of our duties to not put that — to not simply be like, “Oh, they’re so courageous,” however to be in — to have that incite one thing inside us.
PROTESTERS: Say it clear! Say it loud! Say it clear! Say it loud! Gaza, you make us proud! Gaza, you make us proud! Gaza, you make us proud! Gaza, you make us proud!
SAM: My title is Sam. I’m an organizer, and I’m right here to point out assist for the scholars. I feel that I’ve been a — I’ve been pro-Palestinian my complete life, as is my household. I’m Iranian. And we now have all the time discovered the liberation of Palestinian folks to be important to our liberation as Iranians and everyone’s, you understand, collective liberation.
PROTESTERS: Why are you in riot gear? Why are you in riot gear? Transfer, cops! Get out the way in which! Transfer, cops! Get out the way in which! Free, free Palestine! Free, free Palestine! Free, free, free Palestine! Free, free, free Palestine!
AMY GOODMAN: We’re standing at Amsterdam and 113th Avenue. It’s about 10:30, 11:00 at night time. Why are you right here?
BROWN ALUMNUS: So, I’m a Brown College alum. And as you understand, one in every of our personal, Hisham Awartani, was shot. And likewise, I’ve a Palestinian pal who advised me that for his — for talking out on Palestine, he’s been doxxed, I imply, and he’s been kicked off campus. He’s misplaced his housing and meals, and he has no household right here. However he feels the necessity to communicate on it, as a result of his cousins and members of the family are underneath the rubble proper now, and he can’t attain quite a lot of his cousins. And so, understanding that, you understand, there’s not quite a lot of diploma of separation between Hisham and I and our different colleague that additionally misplaced members of the family and has been doxxed and kicked off campus, that is the least that we will do to assist our associates.
AMY GOODMAN: Is that this why you’re carrying a masks regardless that we’re exterior?
BROWN ALUMNUS: Completely. And we’re not carrying a masks as a result of we’re scared, however we’re doing this as a result of that is what our predecessors have advised us that is the correct strategy to protest. And that is what we have to do to guard ourselves whereas additionally talking and standing up for what’s true.
AMY GOODMAN: So, I perceive there’s an encampment at Brown, too. And there’s a slogan: “From Columbia to Brown, we received’t let Gaza down.”
BROWN ALUMNUS: Yeah.
AMY GOODMAN: Have you ever heard the newest from there?
BROWN ALUMNUS: So, right now, really, Brown College handed a decision, with a view to compromise with the scholars’ encampments, that they’re going to vote in October on divestment. So, I feel that’s an enormous victory for the scholar encampments, for the 41 college students who have been arrested, and in addition for the scholars who have been doing the starvation strike, as you could know. So, yeah, the vote — the agreeing to vote on divestment is an enormous step for the scholar organizers, and so they’re very pleased with it. And I feel that’s the least we will do as alum to assist them.
PROTESTERS: Divest! We won’t cease! We won’t relaxation! Disclose!
AMY GOODMAN: We’ve simply spoken to some people who find themselves supporting the scholars now. The bus of arrested college students is coming via.
POLICE OFFICER 1: Again up!
AMY GOODMAN: Are these the buses of scholars?
POLICE OFFICER 1: The buses are arising. Please again up. Please again up.
AMY GOODMAN: These are the arrested college students?
POLICE OFFICER 1: Please again up. Thanks.
AMY GOODMAN: Are they buses of the arrested college students?
POLICE OFFICER 1: I’m unsure who’s within the buses. I do know the buses are leaving. Please again up.
SUPPORTERS: You make us proud! You make us proud! You make us proud! College students, you make us proud! College students, you make us proud! College students, you make us proud! College students, you make us proud!
POLICE OFFICER 2: Again up!
PROTESTER 1: Cease! Cease!
AMY GOODMAN: Be careful.
POLICE OFFICER 2: Again up! Again up! Again up!
AMY GOODMAN: OK. There seems to be — appears to be an arrest proper now. The police have moved in, and so they’re on high of somebody. The police have arrested somebody. Persons are shouting “Disgrace!” He’s on the bottom.
PROTESTER 2: Get off of him! Get off of him! Get off of him!
PROTESTER 3: What are you going to do? Are you going to arrest me? [inaudible]
POLICE OFFICER 3: Again up! Again up! Again up!
POLICE OFFICER 4: Again up!
POLICE OFFICER 3: Again up!
POLICE OFFICER 4: Again up! Again up! Let’s go! Transfer! Transfer!
POLICE OFFICER 3: Again up!
POLICE OFFICER 4: Again up! Again up!
POLICE OFFICER 3: Again up!
AMY GOODMAN: What’s your title?
POLICE OFFICER 4: Again up! Again up!
AMY GOODMAN: What’s your title?
AMY GOODMAN: Over 230 college students have been arrested at and round Columbia, dozens extra arrested at Metropolis School simply 20 blocks additional north.
After we come again, we’ll be joined by two Columbia College college students who have been on campus final night time, and we’ll hear from our personal Juan González. Fifty-six years in the past yesterday, police raided Hamilton Corridor. He was one of many leaders of the scholars at Columbia, one of many leaders of the revolt. Stick with us.
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AMY GOODMAN: “Individuals Have the Energy” by Patti Smith. That is Democracy Now!, democracynow.org, The Struggle and Peace Report. I’m Amy Goodman in New York, joined by Juan González in Chicago.
Over 230 college students and their allies have been arrested at Columbia College final night time when the Columbia president OK’d the presence of the New York Police Division and their raid of the college. Dozens of others have been arrested simply 20 blocks north at Metropolis School.
For extra on the police raid at Columbia, we’re joined by two visitors. Cameron Jones is a Columbia pupil with Jewish Voice for Peace. He was exterior Hamilton Corridor when police pushed everybody into close by buildings and stormed the corridor. Cameron is a 19-year-old city research main. He’s becoming a member of us right here in studio. And Gillian Goodman is with us, a pupil at Columbia Journalism Faculty protecting Columbia’s ongoing pupil protests for the reason that first days of the encampments. She joins us by way of video stream.
We welcome you each to Democracy Now! Gillian Goodman — no relation that we all know of — Gillian, why don’t you describe what occurred on campus? I imply, what’s actually fascinating right here is that Columbia J Faculty, the Journalism Faculty, overlooks the police raid. And actually, Columbia journalism college students and different college students who have been protecting this occasion have been advised by police they’d be arrested in the event that they didn’t keep inside. Gillian, thanks a lot for becoming a member of us.
GILLIAN GOODMAN: Completely completely satisfied to be right here.
That’s appropriate, Amy. And, actually, the one cause that we have been in a position to have entry to campus, many people within the Journalism Faculty, is that we had slept within the constructing the night time earlier than. That they had restricted campus to solely these college students in residential dorms. So, the one cause we have been in a position to witness what we have been in a position to witness is as a result of we had stayed within the constructing.
When police arrived, they have been extraordinarily environment friendly in eradicating all eyewitnesses, together with authorized observers. Myself and my colleagues on the Journalism Faculty have been pushed with police batons to our backs and corralled out of the area, so we weren’t in a position to witness the arrests head on. However some journalism college students have been in a position to stay within the constructing to miss the facet of Hamilton Corridor. However they have been extraordinarily clear and environment friendly that they have been to not have any eyewitnesses, together with the vast majority of press, in the course of the time that the arrests have been made.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And, Gillian, was there any warning beforehand or any sense that the arrests have been coming?
GILLIAN GOODMAN: There had been a way for a number of hours as police gathered exterior. I might say that nobody knew the precise second they have been going to come back in, however we knew fairly clearly inside a few 30-minute window. I feel there was an amazing sense of trepidation, but in addition resolve, on campus that I noticed from quite a lot of the organizers. We have been additionally served an emergency alert from emergency administration that went all through to all Columbia college students, issuing a shelter-in-place warning within the hour earlier than the arrests occurred. And so most college students have been corralled into their dorm by campus security, and that was our inform that the arrests have been imminent.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: We’re additionally joined by Cameron Jones of Jewish Voices for Peace. Cameron, what did you see final night time?
CAMERON JONES: Yeah. So, I used to be additionally one of many college students who was compelled into a close-by constructing as soon as the police arrived on the scene. And it was very clear that the college and the police didn’t need any witnesses to the police brutality that was going to happen. They even pushed medics and authorized observers into close by buildings, stopping them from doing their jobs.
After which we obtained a slew of footage from onlookers that protesters have been pushed and shoved, people have been thrown downstairs. One particular person was left unconscious for a couple of minutes. There was additionally the police utilizing Tasers on peaceable protesters and in addition utilizing a smoke bomb inside occupied Hind Corridor. So, it’s very clear that the police used very aggressive and really violent ways to suppress peaceable protesters.
AMY GOODMAN: And what about you? You have been exterior. You didn’t occupy Hamilton Corridor. You have been on the encampment. Do you face suspension?
CAMERON JONES: As of now, I’m not positive what the college will do. Sadly, the college has arbitrarily suspended dozens of scholars already, so I might not be shocked if I do find yourself dealing with suspension, sadly.
AMY GOODMAN: The response of the scholars to the president, though on Friday saying she wouldn’t name New York police on campus, calling in these police who raided Hamilton Corridor final night time?
CAMERON JONES: Yeah. So, the president is certainly appearing in dangerous religion, I might say. She actually appears to be doing something in her energy to suppress pupil activism on campus, and that features bringing in violent police to violently arrest a whole bunch of individuals. And it actually seems as if the president has not discovered her lesson from arresting folks a number of weeks in the past, as a result of the scholars solely come again with extra fury and with extra depth with regard to our activism.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: Cameron, I needed to ask you concerning the position of the school. Most of the school condemned the final raid, or the primary raid that occurred a few weeks in the past. Have been there school on the market making an attempt to interpose themselves between the scholars and the police this time?
CAMERON JONES: I didn’t see a considerable school presence, however we now have had school very current on the encampment appearing as safety, and we now have widespread school assist by way of our opinions in the direction of the administration. School is on our facet in condemning what the administration has been doing.
AMY GOODMAN: And, Gillian Goodman, you will have each President Shafik and New York Metropolis Mayor Adams portray the takeover of Hamilton Corridor as a takeover by exterior agitators. What was your sense of who was inside Hamilton Corridor?
GILLIAN GOODMAN: Sure. So, I used to be there the night time that the occupation occurred. There’s no strategy to know precisely who was concerned, however I do know firsthand that there’s a massive pupil presence. And likewise the factor that shocked me essentially the most was an enormous pupil assist exterior. There was a human chain, linked arm in arm, to guard the constructing that was 200 college students robust, and people are those who I do know to be college students of Columbia and Barnard within the massive majority. So I feel that principally that is an effort by administration to distance these actions from the scholars, although I do know that they’re deeply resolved and in assist.
AMY GOODMAN: Let me ask Cameron Jones — a Columbia pupil has sued Columbia for making a hostile setting towards Jews. You’re with Jewish Voice for Peace. I need to flip proper now to a clip. That is Republican Home Speaker Mike Johnson dealing with heckling and boos when he got here to Columbia College a number of days in the past calling for President Biden to name within the Nationwide Guard to carry order to the campus, the place the scholars arrange the encampment final week. He additionally known as for Columbia President Minouche Shafik to step down. Columbia college students criticized Johnson’s go to.
SPEAKER MIKE JOHNSON: I’m right here right now becoming a member of my colleagues in calling on President Shafik to resign if she can not instantly carry order to this chaos. As speaker of the Home, I’m committing right now that the Congress won’t be silent as Jewish college students are anticipated to run for his or her lives and keep residence from their courses, hiding in worry.
AMY GOODMAN: In case you can discuss that as a member of Jewish Voice for Peace, Cameron?
CAMERON JONES: Yeah. So, I feel, as a Jewish pupil on campus who represents a gaggle of dozens of Jewish people, I wish to be aware that Jewish college students have been a part of the protest motion on campus since October. And there have been dozens of Jewish college students who’ve been arrested for pro-Palestine demonstrations. So I feel it’s actually essential to acknowledge that there’s a massive anti-Zionist Jewish voice on campus, and it’s additionally essential to acknowledge the distinction between anti-Zionism and antisemitism. Anti-Zionism is a political ideology, whereas antisemitism is with regard to Judaism, which is a tradition and a faith. And it’s essential to know the excellence between the 2. And I feel oftentimes within the mainstream media and on campus, there’s a conflation of the 2.
And it’s actually essential to acknowledge that there was an intense quantity of hostility in the direction of pro-Palestine protesters on campus. We’ve got confronted harassment. We’ve got confronted bodily and verbal intimidation. I personally have been doxxed and have confronted dying threats on-line. I’ve been harassed on campus by a number of people.
AMY GOODMAN: And clarify what you imply by “doxxed.”
CAMERON JONES: Yeah. So, I’ve had my private data revealed on-line, together with footage, social media, my LinkedIn profile, and so forth., through which folks can message me dying threats and e mail me horrible data. And the college has carried out nothing to guard pro-Palestine voices and has been actually cracking down on anybody who’s standing up for Palestinian rights. And this actually simply exhibits how Columbia College is utilizing related ways that the apartheid state of Israel is utilizing to crack down on Palestinians in occupied Palestine.
AMY GOODMAN: Nicely, we’re going to depart it there, however I do need to ask Gillian Goodman — the president of Columbia — the president of Barnard has already had an amazing no-confidence vote by the school. President of Columbia says she has requested the police to take care of a presence on campus via Might seventeenth, two days after commencement. What are you anticipating, as we noticed yesterday the campus virtually fully shut down? Professors had their IDs canceled. College students couldn’t, until they lived proper there on the campus, get in.
GILLIAN GOODMAN: Sure, I feel these actions shattered a way that there’s free and open entry to our personal assets on our personal campus, the ways in which they have been actually successfully in a position to bar anybody from that. I feel there’s actually profound disappointment and anger coming from Shafik’s determination to retain a police presence on campus, as that has constantly been an ask, I feel, from all sides, is to take away the police presence. And that’s usually what creates a menace and intimidation of violence, far more so than the protests on campus. I watched the police at round 2 a.m. load the encampment right into a trash-compacting dumpster, and I watched the group tips get crushed. And I feel that, to me, was the proper second of seeing what that impact may be of getting that police presence on campus.
AMY GOODMAN: Gillian Goodman, a Columbia Journalism Faculty pupil protecting Columbia’s ongoing pupil protests for the reason that first days of the encampments, and Cameron Jones, Columbia School pupil with Jewish Voice for Peace, we thanks a lot for being with us.