College protests continue after arrests at Fordham, Columbia and City College. Get the latest.
NEW YORK -- Pro-Palestinian protests continued across New York City on Wednesday, one day after the NYPD was brought in to put an end to encampments at Columbia University and the City College of New York.
Protesters return to Columbia University, City College of New York
Demonstrators returned to Columbia on Wednesday night. Flares could be seen outside the campus, as protesters waved the Palestinian flag, and police stood nearby.
The campus has been cleared of encampments, but officials say Hamilton Hall remains an active crime scene. NYPD body camera video obtained by CNN shows officers breaching the academic building late Tuesday night, shouting and pining one protestor to the ground.
"I still feel a little distraught by what I saw yesterday," Columbia journalism student Cara Mende said.
Mende was documenting the situation on campus when police cleared out the pro-Palestinian demonstrators who had broken into Hamilton Hall and barricaded themselves inside.
In Harlem, organizers with the Columbia and CUNY Gaza Solidarity encampments rallied with protesters. They claim hundreds of people were unjustly arrested, battered and bruised by law enforcement Tuesday.
Students from Columbia say the NYPD used excessive force and caused more property damage than people who were on campus protesting. They also shared disappointment with what they describe as the NYPD's mistreatment of people they were supposed to be protecting.
"There was at least one incident that I myself witnessed in jail of a Muslim woman's hijab taken. But I should point out that all of the people who were in that jail were screaming and calling on the police to give her back her hijab and to treat her humanely," said Corinna Mullin, a CUNY faculty member who was arrested.
Meanwhile, outside City College, there were more demonstrations as people accused the NYPD of being too heavy-handed when they entered campus Tuesday night.
CBS New York has reached out to the NYPD for comment on the accusations of excessive force, but has not yet heard back.
Arrests at Fordham University's Lincoln Center campus
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators put up about half a dozen tents inside Lowenstein Hall at Fordham University's Lincoln Center campus on Wednesday afternoon.
In a letter to the Fordham community, University President Tania Tetlow said some of the protesters "refused to identify themselves or whether they were members of our community."
School officials requested the NYPD's help to clear the encampment. The NYPD said 15 people were arrested. Tetlow said it is believed that some students were among those arrested.
Tetlow wrote that past protests on campus have been peaceful, but Wednesday's "was different."
"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. 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 wrote in part.
The university says it is increasing security across campus. As part of the increased security measures, students, faculty and staff may have to show their school ID before being allowed to enter buildings on campus. The Lowenstein Center plaza will be closed until further notice.
In a letter posted by the NYPD on social media, school officials asked officers to maintain a presence on campus through May 22, when graduation ceremonies will be held.
"Our presence here as students is really important because our school is supposed to listen. They teach us the value of the Jesuit institution, yet there is no care of the person here. There is a lack of care here," one student said.
Tetlow said university officials met with student leaders Tuesday and agreed to allow them to "present their case about divestment and transparency."
"We remain eager to engage with our student activists and to have open-hearted conversations. We have found them to be thoughtful and focused on persuasion. But we can only have those conversations when we have secured our campus and made our community feel safe," she wrote.
Large protest breaks out in Foley Square, marches to NYU
A large group of pro-Palestinian protesters took their message around the city Wednesday afternoon. Many in attendance were chanting and holding signs that read "Free Palestine."
They marched through the streets of Lower Manhattan after holding a large demonstration in Foley Square.
Some of the demonstrators were from student groups, and some said they were there to support the student protesters at Columbia University. They once again called on schools to stop doing business with Israel.
"People have realized that protesting on the streets hasn't done anything. Israel's just been getting more money so they took it to the next level, a more militant level, by setting up encampments and occupying the schools, just like they did in 1968 and the '70s," protester David Johnson said.
"As a Puerto Rican woman and a lifelong New Yorker, I'm really opposed against any occupation of any country. Puerto Rico has been colony for 125 years, and so I think every country should be free," protester Mili Bonilla said.
The protesters eventually made their way to New York University, where there's an encampment outside the Paulson Center.
Demonstrators told CBS New York they won't stop protesting until the Israel-Hamas war ends.
More than 2 dozen arrested overnight at Stony Brook University
Another encampment popped up at Stony Brook University, where students are demanding financial transparency. They say they want to know where their tuition dollars are going.
University officials responded, saying the school has no direct investment in Israel.
Overnight, police arrested 29 people, including students, faculty and others from outside campus, for violating university policies.
"What began as a peaceful demonstration escalated to include intimidation and harassment of other students and the erection of tents in violation of the University's clearly stated policy. University administrators made every effort to avert this outcome," school officials said in a statement.
