Brooklyn College became the latest flashpoint in a series of escalating anti-Israel demonstrations across New York City campuses. A group of agitators erected tents on the college quad in violation of campus policy, prompting intervention by the New York Police Department (NYPD) and CUNY Public Safety on the evening of May 8. The confrontation resulted in 80 arrests and scenes of chaos according to Fox News, including physical altercations and the use of tasers by law enforcement.
Videos from the scene depict protesters, many wearing keffiyehs, shouting profanities and resisting police efforts to disperse the crowd. One female protester yelled, “Stop shoving people! Stop [expletive] shoving people!” while another screamed, “Get the [expletive] out! Get the [expletive] out!” In a particularly tense moment, officers tased a man who was resisting arrest, as he screamed. An officer also directed a woman to remove her child from the volatile scene, stating, “Get that baby out of here now!”
Brooklyn College issued a statement emphasizing its commitment to campus safety and the right to protest, while also enforcing rules to ensure the safe operation of the university. The statement noted that after multiple warnings to dismantle the tents and disperse, authorities took action to remove the encampment and restore order.
This incident follows a similar event at Columbia University, where over 100 anti-Israel protesters stormed the Butler Library, leading to 80 arrests. These demonstrations have raised concerns about the safety of Jewish students and the presence of antisemitic rhetoric on college campuses.
