There is a movement to radicalize young people, and I’m not going to wait until it’s done and all of a sudden acknowledge the existence of it. After speaking with them throughout the week, at their request and their acknowledgment that outside agitators were on their grounds training and really co-opting this movement — at their request, we went in and conducted an operation to allow Columbia University to remove those who have turned the peaceful protest into a place where antisemitism and anti-Israel attitudes were pervasive. Approximately 300 people were arrested at Columbia and City College. We are processing the arrest to distinguish between who were actual students and who were not supposed to be on the ground. As we pointed out yesterday, they are attempting to disrupt our city and we are not going to permit it to happen.

Source: New York Times May 01, 2024 17:19 UTC