The New York Post tweeted a video Thursday showing a mob of pro-Palestinian protesters at New York University swarming the New York City Police Department’s (NYPD) officers.
“The viral video shows NYPD Assistant Chief James McCarthy and his officers being chased and surrounded by protestors while trying to get inside the NYU Catholic Center after arresting one of them,” the outlet noted in its description of the video.
In the video, the protesters, aside from the chants of “Free Palestine,” demanded the officers release a female protester from their custody. “Let her go,” the protesters appeared to repeatedly chant during the clip. “Kidnapping! Kidnapping! This is kidnapping! You are fucking kidnapping someone. This is kidnapping,” one protester could be heard screeching.
Shocking video shows anti-Israel protesters at NYU swarm NYPD chief and his officers https://t.co/OowOiUy0YY
— New York Post (@nypost) April 25, 2024
The video appears to show the protesters swarming around the police officers, including the high-ranking officer, attempting to enter a building. The police were eventually able to exit the building with the detained person still in tow. (RELATED: Chaos Erupts At Anti-Israel Protest On Georgia Campus)
The police units seen in the clip are members of the Strategic Response Group. This group is responsible for responding to “citywide mobilizations, civil disorders, and major events with highly trained personnel and specialized equipment,” according to NYPD’s website.
NYU has witnessed tension clashes between protesters and police in the past few days. Video footage appears to show police conducting arrests Monday and tearing down the activists’ tents after the protesters refused to disperse. Similar activist cries of “let them go” against the police arrests could be heard in the video.
Similar incidents have played out across campuses nationwide. For instance, Yale University police arrested over 40 activists Monday for trespassing after hundreds blocked intersections across the campus, according to Yale Daily News. “The university made the decision to arrest those individuals who would not leave the Plaza with the safety and security of the entire Yale community in mind and to allow access to university facilities by all members of our community,” a university spokesperson told the outlet.