80 people in custody after Pro-Palestinian protesters take over room in library at Columbia
The protest broke out in the main reading room of the Butler Library
MANHATTAN, New York (WABC) -- Eighty people were taken in police custody Thursday morning after tense moments on Columbia University's campus after a pro-Palestinian protest sounded off in the Butler Library on Wednesday.
There was limited access at Columbia's Morningside Heights campus on Thursday but Butler Library was able to reopen by the late morning.
Nearly 900 students were studying for finals at the time and were forced to get out.
NYPD officers had initially responded and stayed off campus, but university officials say that after students refused to identify themselves or leave the building, they called in support from the police.
Seventy-eight protesters were issued desk appearance tickets for criminal trespass. The 60 women and 18 men were released from custody pending a future court appearances.
Two others, a man and a woman, were issued summonses for disorderly conduct.
Most of those detained were not believed to be affiliated with the university. Two university public safety police officers were injured.
Claire Shipman, the acting president of the school, expressed her disappointment in a video.
"I arrived to see one of our Public Safety officers wheeled out on a gurney and another getting bandaged," Shipman said. "As I left hours later, I walked through the reading room, one of the many jewels of Butler Library, and I saw it defaced and damaged in disturbing ways and with disturbing slogans. Violence and vandalism, hijacking a library-none of that has any place on our campus."
However, some students say they applaud the protesters' actions.
"Columbia being invested in the genocide of Palestine people is number one and of course bending over backwards for Trump deporting its own students," said student Elias Taouli.
The school has been in the spotlight recently as President Donald Trump decided to pull $400 million in funding in response to how it handled last year's pro-Palestinian protests.
New York Rep. Elise Stefanik expressed her support for the president's decision.
"These schools are not entitled to taxpayer dollars, and they're not meeting their federal requirement to protect the civil rights of all students on campuses," Stefanik said.
In the meantime Secretary of State Marco Rubio posted on social media saying they are reviewing the visa statuses of those detained in Wednesday's protest, saying "Pro-Hamas thugs are no longer welcome in our great nation."
The Trump Administration's Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism released a statement Thursday morning praising Columbia's response to the protests.
"The Task Force is encouraged by Acting President Shipman's strong and resolute statement regarding the unlawful, violent and disgraceful takeover of Butler Library yesterday. She has stepped in to lead Columbia at a critical juncture and has met the moment with fortitude and conviction," the statement said.
Classes are done for the semester but students are now preparing for finals and graduation is just a couple of weeks away.
Graduation was canceled altogether last year due to the protests.
ABC News contributed to this report.
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