NYPD releases disturbing video of militarized raid on college Palestine protests: "We will strike you"
New York, New York - The New York Police Department (NYPD) has released new video footage of its violent raids on Palestine solidarity protests at Columbia University and the City College of New York earlier this week.
"Let’s take an inside look at how your @NYPDnews officers safely & professionally restored order at @Columbia & @CityCollegeNY yesterday," the department boasted on X along with the video.
The footage shows officers plotting their operation and then descending on the campuses in riot gear.
"This is not a tent city. This is New York City. It's our city," NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Public Information Tarik Sheppard says in the video.
"If you're thinking about doing something like this, take a look around. See how fast we cleared it out. This could be you," he threatens.
NYPD cracks down on student Gaza solidarity protests
NYPD launched its raid at the behest of Columbia University president Minouche Shafik after students occupied a building on campus.
For the past weeks, students and other members of the university community have peacefully demonstrated at their Gaza Solidarity Encampment – defying administrators' threats of suspension. They have been calling on the university to divest from weapons manufacturers and tech companies that do business with Israel, which is waging a plausibly genocidal assault against the people Gaza.
The Tuesday raid followed a widely panned NYPD mass arrest on April 18 targeting over 100 Columbia students.
Columbia has since sparked outrage for threatening to call the National Guard on its own students.
"We will always protect the right to peaceful protest. Public safety is, & forever will be, our top priority," the NYPD claimed on X in a prime example of Gaslighting 101.
NYPD officer issues threat: "We will strike you"
The law enforcement crackdowns on pro-Palestinian protests have fanned fears for student safety and free speech on campus.
Nevertheless, NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Operations Kaz Daughtry doubles down with more threats in the video: "We're not going to have lawlessness in our city."
"Columbia reached out to us. We came in here and took action, and this is the result of our action," he says.
"If you are thinking of setting up tents any place else in the city, think again because the colleges will reach out to us and we will come there and we will strike you and take you to jail like we did over here."
The NYPD has been asked to remain on the Columbia campus through May 17.
Cover photo: SPENCER PLATT / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP