New York University students established a new pro-Gaza encampment Friday evening after the NYPD cleared a similar occupation earlier this week, arresting 120 protestors including NYU staffers.
The students, calling for divestment in Israel by their university, quickly set up tents behind the John A. Paulson Center near Bleecker St. and Mercer St. just after 5:30 p.m. chanting “disclose, divest, we will not stop we will not rest!”
But then folded their tents a short time later, reportedly after an agreement with NYU officials, but vowed to spend the night.
Similar protests have popped up across the city and nationwide in recent days following the Columbia encampment that launched on April 17.
A similar encampment Monday night at NYU’s Gould Plaza on W. Fourth St. was cleared by ranks of NYPD officers who pepper-sprayed protestors and arrested students and faculty. Some protestors threw plastic water bottles and a metal chair at officers.
NYPD were quickly called to the protest, with a few dozen officers standing on Bleecker St. by 6:23 p.m. as protestors targeted the university president directly chanting “Linda Mills you can’t hide, you’re abetting genocide!”
Later, NYU campus safety members took over for the NYPD officers who had lined the encampment and later left.
NYPD officials said they made no arrests, and some 200 protestors remained Friday evening.
