New York City Mayor Eric Adams is calling the actions of demonstrators staging a protest in Columbia University's Butler Library Wednesday afternoon "unacceptable."
"I want to say to parents, if you're children is on the Columbia campus and participating in this, I think you should reach out to them," Adams said on News 4. "This is not what you do on a college campus, particularly going inside a library and protesting in this manner."
Adams said City Hall is engaged with the college, which asked for the assistance of the NYPD. Officers are currently stationed outside the university's Morningside Heights gates, but do not appear to have entered the campus as of 6:20 p.m.
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WATCH HEREAround 4 p.m., a large group of pro-Palestinian protesters entered the library's reading room. School officials say the protest is limited to that main room and not the rest of the campus' main library.
Columbia's Public Safety Team is asking people in the library for identification and to disperse saying protesters who fail to comply will face violations of campus rules and possible arrest, according to a university spokesperson.
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SIGN UP "While this is isolated to one room in the library, it is completely unacceptable that some individuals are choosing to disrupt academic activities as our students are studying and preparing for final exams. These disruptions of our campus and academic activities will not be tolerated," the university spokesperson said.
The campus said no one who is involved in the protest has agreed to leave, though chanting could also be heard outside the library.
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Campus members are being asked to avoid the area near Butler Library.
