Eight people were arrested at a New York University chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine protest, which blocked entry to the school’s library on Thursday afternoon, according to the private, nonprofit school in Greenwich Village, New York City.
“The university rejects any claims that this is a peaceful protest,” John Beckman, senior vice president for public affairs and strategic communications, told JNS. “The people involved were intentionally targeting members of our community.”
“Their harassing behavior disrupted our academic operations at a particularly critical moment in the semester—as finals start—ignored the rights of students who wish to study in the library and interfered with safe passage into and out of a core academic building,” he said.
“The police came to the scene to ensure the safety of our community, to restore clear and free access to the building and to help maintain order,” he added.
Video footage circulating on social media suggested that those blocking entry to the school library were protesting the Jewish state.
“Starting earlier in the day, a group of individuals began protesting in front of NYU’s main library. At about noon, these protesters sought to block all the entryways into and out of the building, ignoring the clear direction of NYU Campus Safety Officers and repeated attempts by university personnel to de-escalate the situation,” Beckman told JNS.
“As a result, entry into the library was temporarily stopped, other than for those who have classes or exams there,” he said. “The library remained open and operating for those who were inside.”
“Normal entry and exit has now been restored,” he added.
