NYPD Shares Images of Tools of Destruction, Inflammatory Propaganda After Dispersing Campus Anti-Israel Protest

Original article here.

At New York University, NYPD officers dismantled what they described as an “illegal encampment” by protesters, during which they recovered materials that included incendiary slogans.

NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Operations, Kaz Daughtry, shared photos of the materials that bore messages like “Death to America” and “Death to Israeli real-estate.”

Pencils, books, laptops, those are the tools of students and what you expect to find on a college campus. But here’s what the NYPD found in Hamilton Hall at Columbia University after we were able to arrest the protestors and agitators for commandeering and barricading themselves… pic.twitter.com/EKQV6nJySu

— NYPD Deputy Commissioner, Operations Kaz Daughtry (@NYPDDaughtry) May 3, 2024

“Pencils, books, laptops, those are the tools of students and what you expect to find on a college campus. But here’s what the NYPD found in Hamilton Hall at Columbia University after we were able to arrest the protestors and agitators for commandeering and barricading themselves inside the building,” Daughtry wrote in a post on X sharing this incendiary content. “Gas masks, ear plugs, helmets, goggles, tape, hammers, knives, ropes, and a book on TERRORISM. These are not the tools of students protesting, these are the tools of agitators, of people who were working on something nefarious. Thankfully, your NYPD was able to prevent whatever they were planning and stop them before they could do it. Continue to peacefully and lawfully protest; but know that if you engage in illegal conduct, the NYPD will hold you responsible and hold you accountable—someone has to.”

Another sign shared by Daughtry conveyed the following, evoking the tone of Shredder with its pompous and colon-heavy message:

“To friends: Those who call for peace are chasing a mirage. As for the resistance: Strike them everywhere. What kind of life is this that we live in peace with those who abuse our blood and the blood of our children, our men, our sisters?”

“To enemies: The time of calm you sing of will not return. Every day, we increase in strength, and you increase in weakness: Our war with you is long, and your losses are many. This is something you are not used to. You will not find a truce from us.”

The incendiary message was signed, “The Lions Den.”

The @NYPDnews proudly protects everyone’s right to free speech and peaceful protest.

Here’s a look at just some of the inflammatory literature and signage we observed today at the illegal encampment on @NYU property:

“Enough with De-Escalation Trainings: Where are the… pic.twitter.com/Zo3hSF55rG

— NYPD Deputy Commissioner, Operations Kaz Daughtry (@NYPDDaughtry) May 3, 2024

Yet another sign said the following (bolding and underlining is reflective of the original signage):

“Enough with De-Escalation Trainings; Where are the Escalation Trainings! We can choose to prioritize de-escalation trainings, or we can choose to prioritize escalation trainings. We can choose to learn how to build effectively to resist police attacks, or what type of expanding foam works best on the kind of doorknobs present in our universities. This is not rhetoric — this is an urgent need. We will all share the inspiring images coming from Cal Polytech — but who will commit to studying and adapting those lessons to fit our conditions? These questions are a priority if we are serious about turning this movement from one that tries to advance our rhetorical position on solidarity and morality to convince power brokers of the righteousness of our cause, to a movement that becomes a power broker ourselves.“

The message continues:

“It is more important than ever that we reject the so-called ‘outside agitator’ line thrown at us by the right-wing media, cops, university administration, and so-called progressive forces. As the comrades in Cal Polytech teach us, “the distinction between student and non-student only enforces the gates between the university and its surrounding communities. By rejecting this difference we break open the gates.‘ Emory students in Atlanta have declared “as clearly as possible, we welcome “outside agitators” to our struggle against the ruthless genocide of the Palestinian people.‘ If we restrict political participation to students themselves, and only them, and turn away those at the gates, we are bound to fail. Student did not win in ’68 by turning away the people of Harlem who threatened to storm the gates of Columbia, and neither will we now. In the eyes of our enemies in the belly of the beast, we are all outside agitators.“

This incident involved extensive police activity, including the arrest of 56 people, which NYPD Chief John Chell confirmed to Fox News involved primarily students with no major incidents reported.

During these operations, Chell indicated that the arrests were made at the behest of university administrators from both New York University and The New School.

The protests were part of wider anti-Israel demonstrations that have seen significant police responses. Chell also communicated the messages found on some signs, stating, “You will not find a truce from us,” and highlighting other signs that called for more aggressive protest actions, “Enough with De-Escalation Trainings: Where are the Escalation Trainings!” This event is part of a series of campus activities that have escalated into major police actions, including a prior incident where over 100 students were arrested during a demonstration at NYU, showing solidarity with Columbia University students and protesting Israel’s actions in Gaza.