Nine individuals were detained by the New York Police Department (NYPD) at a protest held at Barnard College, affiliated with Columbia University, in solidarity with three students expelled for their pro-Palestine activism. The protest, organized by the Barnard College Student Government Association, saw students staging a sit-in at the college library, vowing to remain there overnight until the expulsions were reversed.

The Barnard Student Government Association issued a letter condemning the handling of the protest, accusing the university of silencing students and calling the presence of the NYPD on campus unjust. They expressed solidarity with the expelled students, calling the actions taken against them a form of brutality.

According to reports from the Columbia Daily Spectator, NYPD officers detained the protestors on Wednesday afternoon, citing the need for protesters to vacate the courtyard due to an “active bomb threat.” The protest at Barnard College has sparked further discussion on campus activism and the rights of students advocating for political causes.