Dozens arrested at Columbia University as NYPD clears occupied building

NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (APRIL 30, 2024 : New York Police Department (NYPD) officers entered a Columbia University building held by pro-Palestinian protesters late Tuesday amid reports that dozens of people have been taken into custody.Police entered Hamilton Hall from a second-floor window after using a mobile ladder to access the facility just after 9 p.m. local time (0100GMT Wednesday). Television footage aired by CNN showed dozens of officers in riot gear entering the building, with some carrying zip-tie restraints and heavy-duty bolt cutters.At least one police bus filled with detained demonstrators was seen in video footage leaving Columbia's campus with police operations ongoing.The building was cleared of demonstrators about two hours after the operation began, and over 100 people were taken into custody, according to multiple reports.Protesters entered Hamilton Hall, which they have renamed "Hind's Hall" in memory of 6-year-old Palestinian Hind Rajab, who was brutally killed in Gaza, early Tuesday morning and maintained they would not leave the building unless their demands are met.(Footage by Lokman Vural Elibol/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)