A pro-Palestinian rally at Brooklyn College erupted in chaos on Thursday, with demonstrators and the police engaging in physical altercations, several people being arrested and one officer firing a Taser to subdue a man in the crowd.
The unruly scene followed the arrests of 80 people on Wednesday after pro-Palestinian demonstrators occupied part of Columbia University’s main library, prompting university officials to quickly call in the police.
The swift moves to crack down on the two protests reflect the enormous pressure that colleges across the United States feel from the Trump administration to quell pro-Palestinian campus unrest.
The disorder at Brooklyn College began around 6 p.m., as dozens of students and faculty members who had gathered to chant slogans and condemn Israel’s actions in the war in Gaza exited the college’s wrought-iron gates.
They had been on campus for several hours by then. Although tensions had grown through the afternoon, as college officials and security guards threatened to have the demonstrators arrested, the rally appeared to be ending peacefully. Two of the four tents someone had set up had been removed at the college’s request.
There were some small skirmishes as people went through the gates, and officers made a few arrests. The crowd walked on before pausing in front of the college’s Tanger Hillel House, where someone in the group gave a speech denouncing the building as a “Zionist institution.” Others held signs that said: “Israel has no right to exist” and “save Gaza.”
A few minutes later, officers stepped into the crowd to make more arrests, taking some people into custody after punching, kicking or slamming them to the ground. It was unclear what prompted the officers to move in aggressively.
One man was quickly surrounded by several officers and put to the ground. One of the officers pulled out a Taser and pointed it in the man’s direction. A popping sound could be heard, and wires dangled from his pants as officers led him away. Several ambulances arrived.
A police spokesman said college officials had requested that the police respond to the campus shortly before 5 p.m. A precise number of arrests was not available Thursday evening. He declined to comment on the physical altercations or on the officer’s apparent use of a Taser.
A spokesman for Brooklyn College said in a statement that demonstrators had violated college policy by putting up the tents. When the tents were not taken down after repeated warnings, City University of New York security officers and the New York City police removed them and “dispersed the crowd,” according to the spokesman, Richard Pietras.
“The safety of our campus community will always be paramount, and Brooklyn College respects the right to protest while also adhering to strict rules meant to ensure the safe operation of our university,” he added.
In an email sent to students at around 7:30 p.m., a college official said the campus was closed for the day, that anyone who left would not be able to return on Thursday and that classes that evening might need to be moved online or canceled.
Emma Grillo contributed reporting.
Ed Shanahan is a rewrite reporter and editor covering breaking news and general assignments on the Metro desk.
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