Columbia's Acting President Slams Storming Of Campus Library By Anti-israel Agitators: 'utterly Unacceptable'

The acting president of Columbia University powerfully denounced nan business of nan field room connected Wednesday aft much than 100 anti-Israel agitators stormed it, resulting successful dozens arrested and 2 assemblage officers injured.

Claire Shipman issued a connection to nan field organization connected Wednesday nighttime addressing nan hours-long incident astatine Butler Library, which she described arsenic "utterly unacceptable."

A mob of protesters showed up astatine nan room Wednesday afternoon, arsenic students were studying for finals, reportedly to rally support for detained Mahmoud Khalil, nan accused ringleader of pro-Palestinian protests astatine Columbia. They besides continued to request nan assemblage divest from Israel.

Two groups caused "substantial chaos" and damaged nan field building while occupying 1 of nan library's main reference rooms and breaching nan building's beforehand door, Shipman said, adding that nan disruption near nan assemblage pinch "no choice" but to telephone nan NYPD for assistance.

DOZENS OF ANTI-ISRAEL AGITATORS ARRESTED AFTER STORMING, TAKING OVER COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY LIBRARY DURING FINALS 

More than 80 masked anti-Israel agitators were arrested aft storming Butler Library connected Wednesday arsenic students studied for finals. (WNYW)

"These actions not only represented a usurpation of University policies, but they besides posed a superior consequence to our students and field safety," Shipman said, successful part.

Columbia's acting president said she went to nan room "as nan events were unfolding" and was disappointed pinch what she saw, including 1 Columbia nationalist information officer being wheeled retired connected a gurney and different being treated for injuries.

Shipman besides said nan reference room astatine nan room was "defaced and damaged successful disturbing ways and pinch disturbing slogans."

"Violence and vandalism, hijacking a library—none of that has immoderate spot connected our campus. These aren’t Columbia’s values," she said.

Pro-Hamas graffiti is visible wrong Butler Library connected nan field of Columbia University, wherever protesters occupied nan building connected Wednesday. (Sam Nahins)

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Shipman, who took complete successful March pursuing nan resignation of nan erstwhile president and nan stepping down of nan consequent interim president, said this behaviour will not beryllium tolerated astatine Columbia.

"Let maine beryllium clear: Columbia unequivocally rejects antisemitism and each different forms of harassment and discrimination. And we surely cull a group of students—and we don’t yet cognize whether location were outsiders involved—closing down a room successful nan mediate of nan week earlier finals and forcing 900 students retired of their study spaces, galore leaving belongings behind," she said.

She besides praised nan consequence from professors, field constabulary and NYPD officers, describing their attempts to defuse nan business arsenic "orderly, professional, and highly limited, pinch a attraction connected nan students who refused to time off nan reference room."

Columbia is successful nan mediate of its designated "study days" up of last examinations opening connected Friday, according to its world calendar, and Shipman said she is "heartbroken and incensed" that this caused "unnecessary accent and danger" for those studying successful nan library.

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"I person seen really overmuch our organization wants to return backmost our narrative, to do what they came to Columbia to do—learn, thrive, and grow—not return complete a library," she said. "Moreover, I americium profoundly disturbed astatine nan thought that, astatine a infinitesimal erstwhile our world organization feels peculiarly vulnerable, a mini group of students would take to make our institution a target."

Shipman said nan "clear statement betwixt morganatic protestation and actions that endanger others and disrupt" nan university's operations was crossed connected Wednesday and she is assured "disciplinary proceedings will bespeak nan severity of nan actions."

The protestation prompted a consequence from NYC Mayor Eric Adams, who said nan metropolis stands pinch Jewish New Yorkers, which includes nan Jewish student population astatine Columbia.

"To those protesting connected field who do not be Columbia: exit nan field instantly aliases you will beryllium arrested," Adams said. We will not tolerate dislike aliases unit successful immoderate shape successful our city."

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) told Fox News that nan agency was monitoring arrests made astatine nan protestation and said each suspects were to beryllium fingerprinted to find if immoderate are noncitizens.

Pro-Hamas protesters locomotion nan perimeter of Columbia University successful New York City connected Wednesday, hours aft occupying nan Butler Library.  (Rashid Umar Abbasi for Fox News Digital)

Secretary of State Marco Rubio reiterated that sentiment precocious Wednesday night, penning connected X, "We are reviewing nan visa position of nan trespassers and vandals who took complete Columbia University’s library. Pro-Hamas thugs are nary longer invited successful our awesome nation."

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Columbia University has been a salient location for anti-Israel protests since Hamas launched its onslaught connected Israel connected Oct. 7, 2023, starring to clashes betwixt pro-Hamas and pro-Israel groups and awesome disapproval of nan raging antisemitism connected campus.