Tense Moments at Cooper Union Campus as Pro-Palestinian Protesters Clash with Pro-Israel Students
NEW YORK — The campus of Cooper Union in Manhattan was filled with tension on Wednesday afternoon as pro-Palestinian demonstrators clashed with pro-Israel students outside the library where they were studying. According to students, they felt unsafe as the protesters banged on doors and chanted. School staff took precautionary measures and locked the students inside the library to ensure their safety.
Despite the tense situation, there were no injuries, arrests, or property damage reported. The NYPD is currently reviewing surveillance video to assess the events that unfolded during the demonstration. Video footage shows Jewish students inside the Cooper Union library while other students chanted “free Palestine” outside the locked doors, holding up signs for their cause.
“It was tense. People were nervous,” one student expressed. “They were specifically acting very aggressive in those spaces where outwardly Jewish students were sitting.”
Sophomore Taylor Lent recounted the librarians’ response to the situation, saying, “The librarians ran over to us and they were like, ‘We tried to warn you, but we just got notice that they’re coming down.'”
The pro-Israel students claimed to have been studying in the library after attending an earlier rally in Cooper Plaza. A representative for Cooper Union stated that the library was closed for approximately 20 minutes in the late afternoon, and the students chose to remain inside until the protest concluded. Security escorted them to a nearby building or outside where they could safely leave.
Earlier photos showed pro-Israel students holding up enlarged signs of kidnapped Israelis, while pro-Palestinian students held signs demanding institutional support for Palestinian causes. Off camera, several pro-Palestinian students clarified to CBS New York that their intention was to protest throughout the entire school and did not specifically target or threaten the Jewish students inside the library.
In a statement provided by the pro-Palestinian rally organizers, they stated, “We, students of Cooper Union, planned a peaceful protest to demand our institution’s acknowledgement of the Israeli apartheid. This was in response to the school’s one-sided stance and participation in the occupation of Palestine.” The statement reiterated that the protest was aimed at the institution and not individual students or faculty. It also highlighted that the protest included individuals from diverse backgrounds, including Jewish participants who do not condone antisemitism.
The NYPD confirmed that three community affairs officers were present at the school during the planned demonstration. Approximately 20 students demonstrated outside the president’s office before eventually heading towards the library. The president of Cooper Union stated that she did not feel in danger during the protest.
The Office of Emergency Management commissioner was seen on site, and Mayor’s Office Twitter account also addressed the situation, stating, “We have been in contact with the NYPD and Cooper Union leadership … While the students at Cooper Union have a right to peacefully protest, hate has no place in our city.” The governor also acknowledged the incident, stating that local and state law enforcement were in touch with the school.
The students expressed their frustration, claiming that they had been informing the school for over two weeks about the escalating situation. Cooper Union has responded by stating that the NYPD was present on site throughout the day.
This incident highlights the ongoing tensions surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the challenges faced by educational institutions in balancing freedom of expression and ensuring the safety and well-being of their students.