NYCLU on Columbia University Calling NYPD to Suppress Campus Protest

NEW YORK, NY — In response to Columbia University’s deployment of the NYPD and campus security to arrest student protesters last night, the New York Civil Liberties Union issued the following statement, attributable to Executive Director Donna Lieberman: 

“Columbia’s snap decision to call the country’s largest police force on their own students is dangerous, especially now, as the federal government seizes every opportunity it can to punish and deport pro-Palestine protesters. With the Trump administration breathing down its neck, Columbia is acting like a tool of the president. The school didn’t even allow a hint of negotiation with students.

“The NYPD once again deployed its Strategic Response Group to campus, a unit that has a history of escalation and violence. We’ve seen reports of an NYPD officer punching a protester in the face, another officer shoving dozens, and another chasing a protester into the middle of Broadway. For Columbia to so readily invite this display of force raises concerns about the safety of their students.

“Columbia’s response sends an unmistakable message that it cares more about appeasing the insatiable Trump administration than the well-being of its students.”

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