‘There’s somebody behind this movement’: NYPD gives chilling update after 56 arrested at NYU, New School

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NEW YORK CITY, NY – The recent operations conducted by the New York City Police Department (NYPD) at New York University (NYU) and The New School have drawn attention to the organized nature of anti-Israel demonstrations on campuses.

The NYPD’s actions were prompted by the School Administration’s request for the removal of protesters and encampments, leading to arrests and the dispersal of demonstrators.

The officers provided protesters with multiple options to leave peacefully before resorting to arrests. The NYPD arrested 56 individuals during the operations at NYU and The New School. The majority of those arrested were students.

NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Operations Kaz Daughtry revealed the presence of inflammatory pamphlets distributed at the anti-Israel encampment in NYU.

“There are leaflets on how to protest leaflets or how to commit civil disobedience. There are leaflets on what to do when you get arrested, leaflets on what to say to police,” Daughtry explained. “There is somebody funding this. There is somebody radicalizing our students.”

These pamphlets contained messages such as “Death to America!” and were deemed to be provocative in nature. Like “Enter the temporary autonomous zone from New York to Gaza,” another said. “Disrupt. Reclaim. Destroy Zionist business interests everywhere.”

“Long live the intifada,” read another.

“Those who call for peace are chastising a mirage,” another reads. “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, and your losses are many.”

Daughtry disclosed the discovery of leaflets providing instructions on protest tactics, civil disobedience, and handling arrests.

This indicates a level of organization and planning behind the demonstrations, suggesting a coordinated effort rather than spontaneous activism.

“I just want to say, and I said it before, there’s somebody behind this movement,” Daughtry said. “There is some organization behind this movement. The level of organization that we’re seeing in both of these schools and at Columbia.”

Daughtry shared images of the contents of the backpack of a student who aided in occupying Columbia University’s Hamilton Hall. “Gas masks, ear plugs, helmets, goggles, tape, hammers, knives, ropes, and a book on terrorism,” he remarked. “These are not the tools of students protesting, these are the tools of agitators, of people who were working on something nefarious.”

NYPD officials, including Chief of Transit Michael Kemper and Chief of Patrol John Chell, expressed concern over the influence of “professional agitators” on vulnerable individuals.

“For those romanticizing the protests occurring on college campuses, ‘Death to America!’ is one sentiment that runs counter to what we believe in, what we stand for, and what many have fought for on behalf of this country,” Kemper said. “And if you think the words written on this piece of paper are disturbing you should hear the vile, disgusting, hateful, & threatening words coming out of the mouths of far too many of these so called ‘peaceful protestors.’”

Since kicked off campus, the protests have moved to outside Board of Trustees’ homes.