Arrests suggest outsiders part of protests on US university campuses

The New York Police Department (NYPD) arrested several non-students during the raids on encampments at Columbia University and the City University of New York (CUNY). The pro-Palestine protests, which erupted across American campuses, were met with a massive police response, leading to over 280 arrests. No one is sure how many of the 280 arrested are students.

A City College spokesperson said only five of the 31 people arrested were affiliated with CUNY as students or staffers, and at least 10 didn’t even live in New York.

It is surprising that non-students were part of protests at leading American universities. At times, well-meaning protests have been hijacked by people and organisations with vested interests.

At Columbia, authorities said at least 109 protesters were arrested. Some had broken into an academic building, while others were camping out on the South Lawn.

Additional arrests were made 20 blocks north at City College, including non-student Fernando Bobis, a 42-year-old internal medicine doctor from Washington Heights, who was charged with disorderly conduct.

“Five and a half hours in a holding cell with no bathroom, no water, no food. I had a hard time checking my insulin to make sure I was okay. I’m Type 1 diabetic,” Bobis, who was arrested at the CUNY college, told reporters after his arrest was processed at NYPD headquarters, reported the New York Post.

Jesse Pape, a known anti-Israel protester, was also arrested at CUNY on two counts of assault after allegedly throwing a water bottle at a female cop.

Pape, who had previously clashed with NYPD officers at other pro-Palestine rallies, has been labelled by the Anti-Defamation League as promoting antisemitic sentiments.

Another non-student, James Carlson, was arrested at Columbia on a burglary charge, according to the New York Post.

Carlson, who has been involved in local protests that had blocked bridges and tunnels, was also charged with criminal mischief, criminal possession of stolen property, and arson in connection to an incident last month when a Jewish counter-protester was targeted outside Columbia University.

Two more non-students, Nora Fayad and Amelia Fuller, were arrested at City College and charged with attempted burglary. Fayad was seen on video chanting, “We are Hamas” and “We are all Hamas,” while Fuller was previously arrested during a protest where the Williamsburg Bridge was blocked.

Barnard College student Maryam Iqbal was also identified as one of the people arrested in the police raids on Tuesday night.

Iqbal, who was previously arrested in April, claimed her suspension and eviction from Barnard strengthened her commitment to the movement for Palestinian liberation.

Aidan Parisi, a postgrad student in social work at Columbia, was also arrested. Parisi, who was suspended from the Ivy League in March for hosting an event titled ‘Resistance 101’, has repeatedly made anti-Israel social media posts.

However, it was unclear how many of the 282 protesters arrested were students at either Columbia or City College, reported the New York Post.

However, a City College spokesperson said only five of the 31 people arrested by school safety officers were affiliated with CUNY as students or staffers, and at least 10 didn’t even live in New York.

The raids followed a tent encampment on the university campus that sprang up nearly two weeks ago, demanding the university divest from Israel and provide full amnesty for those arrested and suspended at the encampment.

Mayor Eric Adams blamed “outside agitators” for sowing chaos on the college campuses, while Columbia and its leaders faced backlash for letting the situation devolve.

He claimed “outside agitators” descended on the campus as part of a “movement to radicalise young people”, reported the Post.

Mayor Adams emphasised earlier on Wednesday that the takeover of Hamilton Hall “was led by individuals who were not affiliated with the university”, although he admitted that some students were part of the group.

The NYPD’s involvement in the raids has been criticised, with some claiming it has made the encampment a flashpoint for suppressing all speech on campus.

The institution remained under a partial lockdown on Wednesday, with only those with Columbia IDs and essential personnel being allowed on campus.

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