Both Columbia University’s investigation and the NYPD’s own intelligence, New York City Mayor Eric Adams said, identified numerous protestors on and near the Columbia campus as “outside agitators” and their presence helped the University and the Mayor make the decision to forcefully break up the protests using police action.
Our intelligence…were able to identify organizations and individuals who were not students, but were professional agitators,” Adams said.
The NYPD intelligence identified “professionals, well-trained,” Adams said, using “some of the tactics, some of the methods, these are clearly being used across the globe and we understand how dangerous this situation had become.”
“It would have been irresponsible not to [respond],” Adams told CBS This Morning, noting that “we knew these children were being exploited and they were in danger.”
A substantial number of all those who were arrested were not students,” Adams revealed.
[NOTE: Non-student agitators were reportedly 80% of those arrested at a pro-Palestinian protest at Arizona State University, with local News12 there reporting that officials said only about one in five of the 72 arrested were ASU students.]
The protestors at Columbia, Adams said, moved from peaceful first-amendment rights users to committing a crime when they broke into Hamilton Hall on the campus, Adams said.
ASU issued a statement describing its honoring of first amendment freedoms and a demarcation line for those, writing:
Demonstrations, protests and expressions of free speech are protected at Arizona State University, consistent with the First Amendment. Peaceful expression of views is always acceptable – but demonstrations cannot disrupt university operations. ASU is committed to maintaining a secure environment for everyone.
Both Columbia University’s investigation and the NYPD’s own intelligence, New York City Mayor Eric Adams said, identified numerous protestors on and near the Columbia campus as “outside agitators” and their presence helped the University and the Mayor make the decision to forcefully break up the protests using police action.
Our intelligence…were able to identify organizations and individuals who were not students, but were professional agitators,” Adams said.
The NYPD intelligence identified “professionals, well-trained,” Adams said, using “some of the tactics, some of the methods, these are clearly being used across the globe and we understand how dangerous this situation had become.”
“It would have been irresponsible not to [respond],” Adams told CBS This Morning, noting that “we knew these children were being exploited and they were in danger.”
A substantial number of all those who were arrested were not students,” Adams revealed.
[NOTE: Non-student agitators were reportedly 80% of those arrested at a pro-Palestinian protest at Arizona State University, with local News12 there reporting that officials said only about one in five of the 72 arrested were ASU students.]
The protestors at Columbia, Adams said, moved from peaceful first-amendment rights users to committing a crime when they broke into Hamilton Hall on the campus, Adams said.
ASU issued a statement describing its honoring of first amendment freedoms and a demarcation line for those, writing:
Demonstrations, protests and expressions of free speech are protected at Arizona State University, consistent with the First Amendment. Peaceful expression of views is always acceptable – but demonstrations cannot disrupt university operations. ASU is committed to maintaining a secure environment for everyone.