On Monday night, a pro-Palestinian protest at New York University resulted in the arrest of over 130 individuals, as confirmed by an NYPD official speaking to CNN. While the exact number of arrests is still being determined, the majority of those detained were reportedly arrested for trespassing during the demonstration.
Despite some isolated incidents involving bottles being thrown at police officers, the protests have largely remained non-violent. The clashes primarily involved students, marking a departure from the typical student-government or student-institution confrontations that law enforcement is accustomed to handling.
According to the official, the presence of what law enforcement refers to as 'professional agitators' has been noted at the demonstrations. These individuals are known to police for their tendency to incite unrest and escalate tensions during protests.
Despite the scale of the protests and the number of arrests, the NYPD has indicated that there are no immediate plans to adjust staffing levels in response to the ongoing demonstrations.
