Protests over the Israeli-Hamas conflict at Brooklyn College escalated on Thursday, resulting in more than a dozen individuals taken into custody by the city Police Department.
Videos posted to social media show a chaotic scene at the Midwood campus, where NYPD officers tried to wrangle protesters who had set up an encampment in the quad between Boylan and Ingersoll Halls.
Police were called to the City University of New York college at around 2:50pm after a request from Brookly College, a police department spokesperson said. Seven individuals were arrested and seven more people were issued summonses.
There were about 50 students who participated in a pro-Palestinian protest on the quad, with about 10 individuals who were representing a pro-Israeli view, according to one Brooklyn College student who witnessed the scene but asked for anonymity.
After several tents were erected on the quad, campus security and administration officials started to negotiate with the protesters, who eventually took down their tents to comply. The protesters were given "no trespassing pink slips" and given three warnings to leave, the student said.
After protesters declined to leave the campus, police officers were allowed onto the campus, the student said. Police officers told students would be arrested if they did not leave, which eventually lead to a brawl to occur on Bedford Avenue. One video seems to depict a protester being tased by police.
“Protesters yesterday erected tents on the Brooklyn College quad in violation of college policy," according to a statement from a Brooklyn College spokesperson. "After multiple warnings to take the tents down and disperse, members of CUNY Public Safety and NYPD removed the tents and dispersed the crowd. The safety of our campus community will always be paramount, and Brooklyn College respects the right to protest while also adhering to strict rules meant to ensure the safe operation of our University and prohibit individuals from impeding access to educational facilities."
The college remains dedicated "to fostering a respectful space for all voices to be heard in accordance with CUNY policy," the spokesperson said.
By 7:00pm, the crowds had mostly dispersed off campus, the student said.
Friday classes were offered online, and the campus will re-open on Saturday, May 10, according to an email college administrators sent to students.
