A large group of pro-Palestinian protestors gathered at NYU in Greenwich Village and were arrested after defying a 4 p.m. deadline on Monday to disperse from Gould Plaza in front of the School of Business.
The protest, which included a mix of students and outsiders, saw over 150 people arrested. According to NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Operations Kaz Daughtry, the NYPD received a letter from NYU requesting the clearance of Gould Plaza after certain individuals refused to comply with repeated requests to disperse.
The protests at NYU in Greenwich Village remained peaceful as police made multiple arrests, while students not participating in the protests expressed frustration over disruptions to their studies.
“I just think it’s kind of disruptive because people are trying to go to the library like I am. This is quite a problem getting to the library,” one student remarked.
“We’re getting close to the end of the semester, right?” asked Eyewitness News Reporter Jim Dolan.
“Yeah, with finals approaching, everyone just wants to study,” replied another student.
Meanwhile, Columbia University is entering its seventh day of protests on Tuesday, with students continuing to demand that the school divest from companies they allege profit from Israel’s human rights violations.
Their commencement ceremony is at risk as it typically occurs on the lawn currently occupied by protesters.
In Connecticut, at Yale University, hundreds of pro-Palestinian demonstrators were blocking an intersection and chanting outside the Schwarzman Center.
According to a spokesperson from the New Haven Police Department, approximately 45 protesters were arrested at Yale on Monday morning and charged with misdemeanor trespassing. They are all being released with promises to appear in court at a later date.
