Public safety officers clashed with pro-Palestinian demonstrators occupying part of the main library on the campus of Columbia University in New York City Wednesday afternoon.
Video showed protesters storming Butler Library, occupying one of the building’s rooms and vandalizing property.
A university spokesperson said its public safety team quickly responded. The NYPD says they are aware of the protest but not involved at this time.
According to the university, protesters are being asked to show their IDs and disperse. The university says protesters’ identification “will be recorded.”
At this time, no protesters have chosen to identify themselves and leave, the university said. Protesters have been told failure to comply may result in arrests, the school added.
Individuals who were in the library but not involved in the protest have been allowed to leave, the university says.
At least three people were seen being taken into custody by public safety.
First responders were seen taking someone out of the library on a stretcher, and a fire alarm was heard going off inside.
Meanwhile, video from Chopper 2 shows a large crowd of protesters gathering outside the library, apparently trying to push their way inside.
Pro-Palestinian demonstrations at Columbia University
This is all happening while the school is in a pre-final exams reading week.
“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. Individuals found to be in violation of University Rules and policies will face disciplinary consequences. We ask our community members to please avoid the immediate area near Butler Library in the near term,” a university spokesperson said in part.
Many protesters were seen wearing masks. Columbia announced a mask ban earlier this year as part of the new policies enacted under the Trump administration’s demands.
Columbia University has been in the crosshairs of the Trump administration in the wake of last year’s pro-Palestinian campus protests, threatening to withhold hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding if certain changes weren’t implemented at the school. Two prominent student activists were also arrested by federal immigration authorities, Mahmoud Khalil and Mohsen Mahdawi.
Stay with CBS News New York for the latest on this developing story.
