ALBAWABA - The NYPD (New York City Police Department) has just arrived at the pro-Palestine protest happening in Columbia as they were seen forming a barrier through a series of videos taken on site.
The pro-Palestine protests in question are being held due to the ongoing Israeli aggression on Gaza which resulted in the killing of more than 34,000 Palestinians and left at least 77,084 injured since Oct. 7, 2023. Columbia students filled up the plaza even during midnight to show their solidarity and demand a ceasefire.
Video: NYPD arrives at Columbia pro-Palestine protest
Users on X (formerly known as Twitter) quickly took to the platform and posted a plethora of videos showcasing the protests and the barrier that the NYPD formed making the police department trending in the US.
Some people were not happy with the protestors as they demanded on social media that the student should "get deported" and "go back to their country for causing a nuisance".
After days of overwhelming protests across multiple US university campuses, Columbia University announced in a statement that its classes at its main campus will be hybrid till the end of the spring semester.
"Safety is our highest priority as we strive to support our students’ learning and all the required academic operations," the university said in an announcement Monday night.
Since then the NYPD has been swarming the streets to have things under control by forming a barrier like the video above and separating protesting students into smaller groups, according to users on X.
A user on X posted a video and said, "It’s almost midnight and the turnout of students at @Columbia has filled the entire plaza. Students being divided into groups to deter NYPD movement into the encampment."
Gaza now
(Batool Darweesh / Al Bawaba / Pro-Palestine protests held in Amman, Jordan)
Hamas announced on Oct. 7 a military operation called "Al-Aqsa Flood" against Israel making it the biggest offensive by the group in decades.
Palestinian fighters “infiltrated” Israel from the Gaza Strip, captured military bases and took hostages as photos and videos went viral online showing Hamas fighters on vehicles inside Israel while others were seen paragliding into occupation territory.
In response, Israeli armed forces announced targeting Hamas positions inside the Gaza Strip. Thousands were killed, and dozens of thousands of others were injured in the Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip.
Since October 7, more than 34,151 have been killed by Israeli airstrikes across the besieged strip, more than half of whom are children and women, the Ministry of Health reported. Additionally, 77,084 Gazans have been injured, with injuries varying between mild and severe.
