The NYPD apprehended 282 people, including a Manhattan doctor and a known protester, at encampments on Columbia University and City College of New York campuses.
Fernando Bobis, a 42-year-old internal medicine doctor from Washington Heights, was arrested at Columbia’s Morningside Heights campus.
Bobis, who suffers from Type 1 diabetes, was held in a cell for over five hours without access to the essential medical supplies he needed.
Hundreds of supporters gathered outside One Police Plaza to welcome the protesters who were released after their arrest. They offered bottled water, food, and sunscreen as a display of solidarity. Among the arrested individuals were non-students like Jesse Pape, an anti-Israel protester who has previously clashed with law enforcement during rallies.
Pape, who is known for his activism and has had clashes with the NYPD, was arrested for allegedly throwing a water bottle at a female officer during a police intervention. This arrest is in addition to previous charges he faced related to an anti-Israel rally outside Columbia University in February.
Maryam Iqbal, a Barnard College student previously arrested during the initial encampment clearance, affirmed her commitment to the Palestinian liberation movement.
Similarly, postgraduate student Aidan Parisi, suspended from Columbia in March for hosting a controversial event, was also observed being apprehended.
The encampments, erected to demand divestment from Israel and amnesty for those arrested, escalated tensions on campus. The situation culminated in masked rioters storming Hamilton Hall, prompting the university to seek NYPD assistance.
Mayor Eric Adams attributed the unrest to “outside agitators” radicalizing young people, although he acknowledged the presence of some students among the demonstrators.
Students reported instances of police brutality during the raid, with injuries sustained during handcuffing.
Nevertheless, faculty members expressed frustration with the university’s handling of the situation, with some drawing parallels to historic protests against segregation and war.
Columbia University remains under partial lockdown, restricting access to those with valid IDs and essential personnel. The fallout from the raids underscores ongoing tensions surrounding campus activism and the administration’s response to student protests.
