Approximately 300 people were arrested after police responded to pro-Palestine protests at Columbia University and City College of New York on late Tuesday, New York City Mayor Eric Adams said.
According to the New York Police Department (NYPD), there were 282 arrests, 173 at City College and 119 at Columbia University.
Speaking at a press briefing, Adams said that "outside agitators were on their grounds, training and really co-opting this movement."
Adams said students have a right to protest and free speech is the cornerstone of the society.
"But as a major concern, we knew and we saw that there were those who were never concerned about free speech. They were concerned about chaos. It was about external actors hijacking peaceful protests and influence students to escalate," he added.
NYPD officers entered the Columbia University's Hamilton Hall held by pro-Palestinian protesters late Tuesday. The building was cleared of demonstrators about two hours after the operation began.
The protests began in April and have served as a flashpoint for the wider movement to protest Israeli war on Gaza.
Israel has waged a relentless offensive on the Palestinian enclave since an Oct. 7 cross-border attack by Hamas, which killed some 1,200 people.
More than 34,500 Palestinians have since been killed and over 76,000 others injured. Israel has imposed a crippling blockade on the Gaza Strip, leaving its population, particularly residents of northern Gaza, on the verge of starvation.
Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to ensure its forces do not commit acts of genocide and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.
