Fast track to the mishap, which took place following the Gaza war, the concerned students invaded the University’s Hamilton Hall. It was a disheartening scene which turned sour as 46 students were apprehended by the Manhattan State police.
With no evidence to validate their criminal status, the Manhattan District Attorney has released 31 remanded culprits. While he impugned 14 others to desist from criminal acts for the next 6months for their freedom to be fully approved.
However, the defendants of the culprits objected to the attorney’s offer as they look forward to a new court hearing by the 25th of July this year. The remaining defendant, James Carlson, has two other open cases against him involving separate charges, including flag burning. Carlson has no affiliation with the school.
At a news conference after the hearing, some of them, flanked by supporters, said they rejected the prosecutors’ conditional dismissal to show solidarity with those facing the most extreme repression across the pro-Palestinian movement.
https://youtu.be/Jwr019jtWg4?si=-KgFMNp0FCmVdFgl
Protesters had seized the building on the Manhattan campus of Columbia University on April 30 as demonstrations against the war in Gaza erupted on some U.S. college campuses and as tensions at Columbia intensified over mass suspensions.
Dozens were arrested the next day when police with riot helmets cleared the damaged and barricaded building.
Those arrested included at least 14 Columbia undergraduates, nine graduate students, two employees and six students from affiliated schools, a Columbia spokesperson previously said. At least 13 of them had no affiliation with Columbia, the school said.