Recently, the American flag was restored at the City College of New York (CCNY) in Harlem Heights after the area had been taken over by a protestors encampment.
The US flag had been taken down and demonstrators hosted the Palestinian flag.
The return of the American flag was captured in a video showing New York Police Department (NYPD) officers at the flagpole. They removed the Palestinian flag, which had been flying since the previous week when protesters established an encampment on the campus. According to a post on social media platform X by a user named Daughtry, this act was a moment of pride and order restoration at the college.
NEW: The NYPD rips down the Palestine flag at City College NY, throwing it on the ground before replacing it with the American flag.
Iconic.
“An incredible scene and proud moment as we have assisted City College NY in restoring order on campus, culminating in raising Old Glory… pic.twitter.com/0EY6ODI5JU
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) May 1, 2024
The situation escalated the night before the flag was replaced, with confrontations between the protesters and the police at the same campus. During these confrontations, the demonstrators, who had come from different parts of Manhattan to protest at various colleges, clashed with the police. The protesters reportedly threw garbage and flares at the officers and barricaded themselves inside an administrative building.
Documenting: NYPD is violently arresting protestors on the street outside CCNY. They are causing all the danger – randomly charging the crowd, creating a stampede, and ramming into us with batons. pic.twitter.com/l9PLMWDM45
— Alicia Thilani Singham Goodwin (@AliciaThilani) May 1, 2024
The left was angry.
After masked “counterterrorism” NYPD officers laid siege to Columbia University campus and carried out mass arrests of students protesting U.S. war policy, the NYPD went to Harlem’s CCNY, effectively placed the neighborhood on lockdown and commandeered public MTA buses for more… pic.twitter.com/z4Lx0ZWCi8
— Jeremy Loffredo (@loffredojeremy) May 1, 2024
The tension peaked with more than 100 protesters being arrested at Columbia University, another New York City institution. This occurred as NYPD officers, equipped in riot gear, acted to dismantle another protest encampment and clear Hamilton Hall. The building is historically known for student activism, including during the anti-Vietnam War protests. The police operation involved tactical entries and the use of non-lethal “flash bangs” to manage the crowd. Notably, tear gas was not deployed.
Two key confirmations in this clip:
1) The criminals who seized Hamilton Hall at Columbia were outside agitators, not students.
2) Approximately 300 were arrested at Columbia University overnight, the majority of whom are not students.
People do not yet realize just how much… pic.twitter.com/sBsblhn2ir
— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) May 1, 2024
Following the raid, three individuals needed medical evaluation, with two transported to a hospital with minor injuries, according to an FDNY spokesperson. The specific causes of their injuries were not disclosed, nor was it confirmed if they were students or affiliated with the university.