On May 7, protests erupted at Columbia University's Butler Library, leading to confrontations between Public Safety officers and demonstrators. Claire Shipman, acting president of the university, described her observations of the situation unfolding. The Columbia Spectator reported on the aggressive tactics used by Public Safety to clear protesters from the library, which included physical confrontations. Tensions escalated as various groups, including those supporting Palestinian rights and anti-Zionist Orthodox Jews, gathered near the scene. The chaotic nature of protests, especially with police involvement, made it difficult to capture the full scope of the events.
I spent the late afternoon and evening at Butler Library, as events were unfolding, to understand the situation on the ground and to be able to make the best decisions possible.
Inside the building, Public Safety officers attempted to clear out protesters from the reading room. Public Safety officers forcefully pushed several protesters to the ground both near the building's front entrance and the reading room's entrance.
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