NYPD ripped down Palestinian flag at City College and hoisted Old Glory - as ... trends now
New York City cops ripped down a Palestine flag that had been hoisted above City College and replaced it with the American flag, after officers arrested nearly 300 people in a night of chaos on campuses throughout the city.
The NYPD's deputy commissioner for operations Kaz Daughtry called it a 'proud moment' as the officers raised Old Glory on the campus.
Footage taken on the ground shows one officer tossing the flag aside before raising the Star-Spangled Banner on the flagpole.
173 people were arrested from City College, in Harlem, while 119 were arrested at Columbia on charges of trespassing, criminal mischief and burglary.
Hundreds of officers stormed Columbia, with officers going through an upstairs window of Hamilton Hall, after students barricaded themselves inside.
Protestors, many of whom covered their faces with masks or keffiyehs, were then marched out unmasked and loaded onto three awaiting NYPD buses.
Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday morning, Mayor Eric Adams berated the schools for allowing the flying of the flag.
Footage taken on the ground shows one officer tossing the flag aside before later raising Old Glory on the flagpole
Protestors at City College had raised a Palestine flag on the campus, which officers last night replaced with the stars and stripes
NYPD cops dressed in riot gear stormed through the window of a Columbia University building occupied by dozens of pro-Palestine protesters to begin clearing them out
He said: 'That's our flag folks, it might be fine to some people but not to me. My uncle died defending this country.
'It's despicable that schools will allow another country's flag to fly in our country. So blame me for being proud to be American. We are not surrendering our way of life.'
Adams also blamed 'outside agitators' for 'training and co-opting' what was a peaceful protest and turning it into something potentially violent.
Mayor Adams later told CBS Mornings: 'Once the Columbia University team and leadership in their letter acknowledging that outside agitators were on their campus grounds, we looked at our intel and information.
'I was briefed by the intelligence division and they were able to identify organizations and individuals who were not students but were professional agitators.
'We realized after the breaking into Hamilton Hall, some of the tactics, some of the methods, these are clearly being used across the globe and we understood how really dangerous this situation had become.'
Adams said that one person identified by authorities was 'married to someone that was arrested for terrorism' but would not elaborate further when questioned.
During a press conference, NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban showed off one of the lock chains used to secure Hamilton Hall, saying it explained why it was necessary for police to storm the building.
Police said that between 40 and 50 of those arrested at Columbia had been inside the occupied building on the campus.
Footage taken last night shows lines of protestors lined up with handcuffs as officers in riot gear escort them onto awaiting transport.
As the buses left the scene crowds that had gathered to watch cheered as the protestors were finally led away from the university.
NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban, right, and Mayor Eric Adams, left, appear at a press conference as Caban holds up chains and a lock removed by officers during their operation to clear protestors from Columbia University
173 people were arrested from City College, in Harlem, while 119 were arrested at Columbia on charges of trespassing, criminal mischief and burglary
Protestors, many of whom covered their faces with masks or keffiyehs, were marched out unmasked and loaded onto three awaiting NYPD buses
Hundreds of officers stormed the campus, with officers going through an upstairs window at the historic building, after students barricaded the entrance
NYPD bus carries arrested students at Columbia University in New York City on April 30
The NYPD said that those who occupied Hamilton Hall would be charged with third-degree burglary, criminal mischief and trespassing.
Those who had been camped out on the lawn at the university meanwhile would face trespassing and disorderly conduct charges.
Even though the crowds have now been dispersed a police presence would remain for a further two weeks.
Pictures and video taken of the aftermath show the hall's trashed interior strewn with activists' belongings.
Columbia's President Minouche Shafik called in the NYPD in to 'restore order and safety' to the campus amid the escalating protests.
Pictures show how chairs and desks had been turned upside down to become makeshift barriers inside Hamilton Hall. The cost of damage to the building is likely to total thousands of dollars.
The occupation followed weeks of unrest at Columbia, which began with the establishment of the encampment on April 17.
Protesters set up tents after Shafik was grilled before Congress about anti-Semitism on campus.
They repeatedly ignored calls to disband, with the demonstrations ramping up early Tuesday with the violent takeover
