NYPD breaks up last pro-Palestinian protest encampment on a NYC college campus at FIT

ByPhil Taitt, Eyewitness News WABC logo
Wednesday, May 8, 2024
NYPD clears encampment at FIT
Phil Taitt reports some 50 people got arrested at the Fashion Institute of Technology.

NEW YORK CITY (WABC) -- Police broke up the last remaining pro-Palestinian encampment on a New York City campus at the Fashion Institute of Technology.

It happened late Tuesday night, resulting in some 50 arrests.

Some of those arrested had participated in a rally at Union Square and then made their way to the college.

The encampment at FIT began on April 25. Some NYPD officers were wearing riot gear while others wore their standard uniform.

The scene was reminiscent of what was seen over the past week as police cleared demonstrations and encampments at universities and colleges across the city including NYU, City College, Fordham, The New School, and Columbia University.

Columbia University altered their commencement ceremonies plan by foregoing their university-wide graduation. On Wednesday, the university started allowing some students on the Morningside Heights campus for the first time in more than a week.

Mayor Eric Adams praised the work of the NYPD.

"The NYPD is doing an amazing job. It's a challenging situation. Thousands of protesters in the city. They are treating people with the humanity, the dignity that they deserve under very challenging circumstances. People are throwing objects at them, doing things that are just really I believe, a small number, is just trying to aggravate the situation," Adams said.

In the meantime, the mayor is personally putting up a $5,000 reward for arrests in connection to the 107th Infantry Memorial statue vandalism this week. That is in addition to a $10,000 reward from Crime Stoppers.

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