Public safety officers at CUNY and the NYPD decisively shut down an attempted overtake of a “Liberated Zone” protest by pro-Palestinian students at City College of New York this afternoon. The students, numbering only several dozen, tried to occupy the campus quad around 2 p.m., but were quickly dispersed by authorities, some being subdued with pepper spray. At least one student was arrested, according to an NYPD spokesperson.
Footage from the scene showed a CUNY officer deploying pepper spray toward the crowd, with even a fellow safety officer retreating while covering his face. One protester, identifying herself only as “Aria,” claimed, “They began indiscriminately pepper spraying us,” after she said she hopped a fence to escape the situation.
The demonstrators were pushing familiar left-wing demands, including pressuring CUNY to “disclose its investments and divest from companies profiting off Israel’s war in Gaza,” as well as calling for free tuition. CUNY spokesperson Jay Mwamba confirmed the university was aware of the protest but declined to comment on specific incidents, noting, “As there is an active investigation at this time, we cannot comment on specific allegations related to today’s protest.”
Following the clash, police cleared students off campus property. Protesters doused each other with water to alleviate the effects of pepper spray, but the effort to establish an encampment collapsed within an hour—marking a stark contrast from last year’s five-day occupation.
Radical student activists across the country are facing growing accountability under the Trump administration’s immigration policies. According to reports, “1,800 international students” had their visas revoked, including “17 of its own students” from CUNY, after involvement in similar disruptive actions.
Acknowledging their failure to reestablish control of campus grounds, “Aria” admitted, “They were more prepared for us” than in previous protests.
In response to the attempted overtake, CUNY announced a campus lockdown effective through May 1, restricting access to those with valid ID. Administrators notified students, stating, “We understand these measures may cause some inconvenience and appreciate your patience, understanding, and cooperation.”
