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Police Arrest Dozens of Pro-Palestinian Protesters in Columbia University Raid

Columbia University Police Arrest Protesters

Protestors Gathered to Demand Columbia Divest From Companies Profiting From Israeli Occupation of Palestine

On Wednesday, April 13th, 2023, Columbia University Police Department (CUPD) officers arrested dozens of pro-Palestinian protesters who had gathered on campus to demand that the university divest from companies that profit from the Israeli occupation of Palestine.

The protest was organized by the Columbia University chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), a national organization that advocates for Palestinian rights. The protesters gathered at the university's Low Library, where they held signs and chanted slogans calling for Columbia to divest from companies such as Lockheed Martin, Caterpillar, and Hewlett-Packard, which they say provide weapons and other support to the Israeli military.

The protest was one of several that have been held on college campuses across the country in recent weeks. In March, students at the University of California, Berkeley, voted overwhelmingly to support a resolution calling for the university to divest from companies that profit from the Israeli occupation of Palestine.

The Columbia protest began peacefully, but it turned violent when CUPD officers moved in to arrest the protesters. According to SJP, the officers used excessive force, including pepper spray and batons. Several protesters were injured, and one was hospitalized.

The arrests have been condemned by civil rights groups and student organizations. The American Civil Liberties Union of New York (NYCLU) said that the arrests were "a violation of the First Amendment rights of the protesters." The Columbia University chapter of the Faculty Senate issued a statement saying that the arrests were "an affront to academic freedom."

The university has not commented on the arrests, but it has said that it is committed to protecting the free speech rights of its students.