NYPD officers in riot gear cleared an encampment set up by pro-Palestinian protesters inside Fordham University's Lincoln Center campus Wednesday in the wake of the similar tent locations at Columbia University and City College.
A large number of protesters gathered outside the windows of the school on 60th Street on the Upper West Side chanting in support with the protesters who had set up tents inside. NYPD officers in riot gear were seen arriving with ballistic helmets and batons by late Wednesday afternoon.
The NYPD told NBC News Fordham University at Lincoln Center requested their assistance to disperse the group of protestors. Officers responded by making trespassing and other relevant arrests at the Lowenstein Center just before 6 p.m.
Once the encampment was cleared, a number of protesters remained outside. The arrests went down while the school attempted to cover a window, upsetting onlookers.
In a letter to the university community, Fordham President Tania Tetlow said that 15 people were arrested and charged with trespassing, some of whom were believed to be students at the school.
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"We draw the line at intrusions into a classroom building, especially by people who are not members of our community. (There is a difference between free speech and people barging into your home to shout.) Outside of Lowenstein, hundreds of protesters came from elsewhere, drawn by social media invitations to support the few protesters on the other side of the window," Tetlow's letter read. "The growing crowd outside banged on the glass so violently we worried they would break it. We worried that the protesters would rush further into campus."
Tetlow stated that the decision to have the NYPD get involved was about "physical protection of the campus. It comes down to this: Fordham students have a right to feel safe and to finish their exams. Period."
