Transcripts For CNNW The 20240703

Being the Strategic Response officers were seeing more arrived now and get information the question now obviously is, when do they have the green light to go in . We dont know. We are expecting it at any moment and we keep seeing the officers move around, but its not entirely clear where theyre going, so okay. Were just going to walk this way again because i dont want to get were going to check in one keep us an form. Were going to check in with Julia Vargas Jones, who is On Campus Outside Hamilton Hall. Julia im just wondering if any how are you what are the last few minutes been like anything youve been seeing . We saw a large Movement Anderson of students all the way to the one 14 gate thats the one that shimon was mentioning there is Police Presence over there on that side. You see people just walking, trying to see if this trying to figure out where police will come in from and where they will be. The safest, honestly, a lot of a lot of the students that went way, they kinda like dispersing a little bit now, i think it was maybe a bit of a false alarm obviously, students are hearing inside what were reporting, what other outlets are reporting everyone is just trying to figure out what happens next. And as theyre scrambling theres movement, theres a lot of running and stopping and people asking, wheres the police . This is why i was trying to figure out where where shimon is exactly. I believe were just quiet exactly in our diagonal here. So one 14th, thats yeah, thats actually helpful amsterdam. Okay. Thats helpful. So if you could tell us so too, youre right is the one 14th gate on broadway, is that correct yes, thats one 14th that i cant see that far. Right. But there is there was a crowd of russia, people that ran that way for a bit. And then the one is heard and then amsterdam in which direction from amsterdam is right here. So this is the corner where this, but, and im sorry for the turnaround here. Ill have my colleague corinne helped me to show you this as Hamilton Hall. Right. So amsterdam is right on the other side. She and others are colleagues that have been live from the outside of campus. Theyve been able to see the banners and all the color from Hamilton Hall on the amsterdams sayyed, thats what theyre seeing just over here. Theres a wall so we cant really see whats going on route outside, right outside . The gates i have im a little blinded in here and honestly, all of these students will be in a corner once once police comes in, theres nowhere for them to go its a wall, its a barricaded building then i showed you before up here. We see we seem residences, students on their windows, just waiting to see what happens and i want to pivot a little bit more to the other side, just say have an idea of the layout here. Anderson is that these are tense that showed up this Afternoon Move from the south lawn where all of this began really a couple of weeks ago and this is where the rush has been going on. People were just kinda running out towards one 14th, which is again, all gates are closed except for one. Actually, i dont know our colleagues on the outside. You have a better sense of what its like out there. But theres with only one gate open. Everything else is closed. This is residences i dont know where people will go once police come in, julia standby. Appreciate what you were doing. I want to go to Miguel Marquez where his location is the righthand side of your screen miguel, i think youre around one 14th and broadway talk about what youve been saying last we saw you, police were moving into where we believe was a dorm building. Thats slightly off campus yes. Turkey can turn on. And turn the camera around here. Can this this is what we are seeing right now, just massive numbers of nypd going in with helmets many of the women pitons and flexi cuffs. They are streaming an offbroadway were on one 14 just east of broadway. So between broadway and amsterdam the closest access to where the encampment is is on just off one 14 here around the corner from us on amsterdam is where Hamilton Hall is. And where protesters have remained at that gate, the main gate at onesixteenth and broadway, were there there are earlier there was nobody there. It doesnt seem that theres any activity there right now. Theyve blocked off that entire area. Broadway this major road in New York City is blocked off for several blocks between onethirteenth or so and one 20th in both directions, right now. And police clearly getting ready to go and i ive ive ive covered lots of this stuff around the world and ive never seen this many Police Moving into chatelier had macau the shot were seeing now wheres this . Controlling . Wheres this is 100, 100 and streets east of broadway. So they are as close to campuses. You can get there is an entrance to campus just okay. Miguel, what were seeing were seeing the students were seeing students trying thank to move metal barricades around one of the entrances. Thats then entrance on amsterdam in 116th i believe thats fat sounds right . There was a there was theres been a protest there all day today dozens when i got there, what by the time we left to go chase other protesters, there were several dozen protesters outside Amsterdam Avenue. They had barricade set up there. Theyre very tall fences. Those gates are the barricades or shorts but gaetz around columbia are about 10 12 feet high. So itd be very hard for them to get over that. Police are now going in, they are now going in to the columbia its campus on i can see them going into campus on the 114 streets. Sayyed even more, more police or even boring to shimmery. I want to go to shimon prokupecz, shaima. What do you hes saying right with them right now, they are moving in. They are walking these other search teams that we were with earlier. They are now making their way towards the campus we are just behind them. Im sure. You guys just stay. Okay. Theyre walking in to the campus there have now made a left here, anderson, if helio come over here you can you can get this shot. Were fine. Were getting on the word good, but thats that julia and you could see, go ahead im making the left that is then making their way. Okay. I want to whos On Campus Outside Hamilton Hall. Julia, what are you seeing . Anderson . Yes, were good. We are hearing a lot of metal clanking. Some people are saying there might their hearing ladders. Im not sure. I cant see like i told you, i can be moved around. Are you pointing to the 100 is this way . Right here. Were looking at one 14th. This is the one 14th and trans there they are. There they are this is this is the library. The main library at columbia butler so thats the borders to disperse police is on new York Police Department is on campus so where are they . Theyre coming in campus or from one 14 they came from another gate on one 14th and theyre coming coming. Are direction. So im going to step to the side. Make sure that we are okay. But theres an order to disperse lots of lots of Student Media here. I you can see but this is what we thought would happen this is what weve been waiting to happen really. Games of where Hamilton Hall is. Can you just fell in that direction . Is that where they are headed now . So please us here theyre turning towards me. Theyre coming. This is Hamilton Hall okay. So so julia you obviously need to get wherever you need to get to now, were moving so youre going to see come this way columbia show them. Shall them. Yeah. Okay. So listens happening theyre going up the lawn. Actually, theyre gonna come where we gotta get out of the way. Julie across about how many police do you see from a few dozen for now maybe theyre staging i believe theyre staging over here in this arm back. Im back corridor and mislead me. It seems like theyre getting ready to come this way down can you show this crane just going down here . And into Hamilton Hall . Thats right there okay julia, stay with this as long as you can still chanting. Theres still so thats, theres Hamilton Hall that youre showing us with their outside so testers are still forming that Human Chain Anderson i showed you earlier. So it looks like right now urging slowly or staging outside kind of gray grouping at a slight distance from Hamilton Hall outside, is that correct yes. But it seems like theres still theres still different groups of felice that are coming. I see another few dozen coming in. I dont know if our colleagues outside are seen more people coming in more officers come in okay. Let me quickly check in with shimon prokupecz. What it looks like. Okay. Shimon told us where you are and what youre seeing so anderson buses have just moved in. This is where they will likely take the one once they start making arrest and start bringing people out. Those buses have now arrived. Were seeing additional technical ill assistance Response Unit is here. Theyre going to help with with video and other things that perhaps the police will be looking to seize their now heading in to the campus. But the significance here, obviously these buses now arriving, this is where they will bring the people that they arrested. Eventually theyll bring them on the buses and thats it. It seems at this point they have not moved in any extra officers into the canvas out here. Its interestingly enough theres people just out here watching whats going on and youre seeing some of the officers by standing around the buildings keeping an eye on things. But at this point out here, what things are fairly under control for the police . Look so much planning. Andersen went into this. Its very obvious that the nypd spent some time planning for this today. Certainly the escalation when the when the group broke into the buildings okay. Theyre asking us, i think to walk okay. Yeah okay. Come on. Were going to walk. Come on. Come on. Lets walk. Okay. Were going to walk. Okay. Were going to walk anderson. It looks like theyre going to bring us closer. Come on. Youre going to bring us closer. Guys well come back to you. Let me quickly check in. All right. Soon as you get there, let us know. Were going to check my Miguel Marquez miguel, what are you saying yeah, we are basically in the same place, but 114 street. Okay. Hundreds of new York Police Officers who are who had helmets and pitons entered the grounds of Columbia University there are now buses parked outside on 114th street to make any i want to go back to ed im gonna go back to julia on campus, juliet. Where are you, sir . Can you hear me . Julia, youre on the air. What do you say . Can you hear me . Julia . Youre on the air. Can you hear me using right down at least as close as we can to be these . Are two where we just worked that was i liked position they are all making and telling people to discourse over here theyre just pushing in the protests julia theres still those students there linked arms in front of the the doors. And then there are protesters inside the building as well. Do you see protesters in the windows of that building at all or had they sent the windows . I dont i see i up there. Up their mind that palestinians like theres someone serving everything thats going on i mean, this nypd, kkk, comparing dime york police to the food trucks play ramsay, chief ramsey, just in terms of tactics there, clearly just trying to secure the area as much as they can move off people. Anybody whos not protesting, just try to get a kind of an area of calm, correct . Yeah. Youre correct. I mean, you can see that the police are organized. They have a plan other time to clear away as many people as possible. But we making entry to actually go after people that psi i also with the encampment, start to dismantle that in canada. But t theyre trying to get some semblance of control in that immediate area so theyre doing exactly what i would expect them to do at this point in time. This is going to be a long drawn out process. Its not going to end anytime soon. This is probably going to take most of the night before they get bleakly locked down. You see that every one chief on the righthand side of your screen outside, we saw Somebody Being Led away with their hands, zip ties john miller, former nypd Deputy Commissioner of intelligence and canada and are terrorism is also monitoring this with us . John, what stands out to you at this point . Well, i think what youre seeing is the end of a process which is going to be the beginning of another much more tactical process, which is the nypd has been putting this plan into place over the last a couple of days, particularly last 24 hours when students took over Hamilton Hall by going inside barricading the door is smashing the Security Cameras inside to limit the view of the school and their security people too. It was going on the discussions between the nypd and columbia have been what are the tactics that are going to be used . What is the plan . Will it be in the daytime . But the nighttime . But the nypd wanted columbia to agree to be the complainant, to be the one that called the police to be the one that asked for this action. So what were going to see now is they will set their Police Perimeter around the perimeter that the students had set outside Hamilton Hall. They will issue the verbal warnings that you are to disperse to the people outside. Those people will have a choice which is they can stay in place and face arrest for criminal trespass or disorderly conduct, or they can disperse and theyll get that chance when those warnings are given, then theyve got to make entry and thats going to require the Emergency Service unit, whatever Cutting Tools they need to use to get past barricades that have been put in place then those people who are inside the building will be arrested, charged with criminal trespass, suspended by the school, where they contemplate further action, including expulsion. But as chuck ramsey said a moment ago this isnt going to happen over five minutes the warnings have to be given. They have to be given a chance to disperse the entries have to be made. The building has to be searched quite a large building top to look for people in place, people who may be hiding than the building has to be cleared. All of those people who are charged or arrested are going to be taken to the Mass Arrest Processing Center or a map, see, as they call it downtown they have buses set up where theyll begin to process them even before theyre brought down there. And some will be issued summons is some may be held over for court. But this is an operation that as we look at it at 9 18 p. M. Is going to go on for the next several hours, at least done. I want to bring in judge Shira Scheindlin, former federal judge normally for legal perspective, but you actually were a student at columbia in 1968 on campus when students took over building on campus and 68. Is that correct . Yes, indeed, they occupied and was which is where the east Asian Institute was and i was a student studying chinese and japanese history of all things. And so having occupied the building, we were expelled from the building. We had classes in the park and it was a dangerous situation. I remember it well, what is it like for you to witness this both from a former student there who believed through and 68, which i think is the last time police were called to the campus other than recent days and also just from a legal standpoint as a judge well, from a legal standpoint to take your second question. First, its one thing to have peaceful protests, but there are time, place, and manner restrictions and thats the beginning. And then theres civil disobedience. And if you do that, you can expect to be arrested. But at the third stage, theyre simple lawlessness. And what troubles me about this is when you have people Breaking And Entering Property Damage trespass, and potential violence. Thats a line thats been crossed and i think they action being taken now is absolutely correct. This cannot be tolerated and ill tell you the real story is graduation columbias graduation is may 15, and its always right where these tents are. And theyre prepared. There are students who have spent collectively 1 billion intuition who are graduating and their families deserve to see those kids graduate. Those kids want to graduate. This timing is this was timed for graduation. Theres no question. My mind if this protest was november, it could have been handled its pits graduation time. So theres lots and lots going on here that doesnt immediately meet the eye i wanna go back to Julia Vargas Jones, whos oncampus, giulia. Whats going on . Mike luck anderson has pushed to all students so i can see where the cafeteria is. Ill. Show you this. Im were trying to youre going in fact theyve just clear this entire area where we walked past earlier there are so theres just all that in my understanding is that theres more i think the war is likely very kicking them okay. Which one should we go thank you guys we should be able to go back into the journalism school. Thats why i was told to return two guys. Thank you. Gay or not . The only way through where where it speaking and julia. So other students who had been told to shelter the place, are they staying inside their dorms . Are they allowed to come out now . Are they all sit everybodys saying inside i may not know. Theyre not allowed to come out. Everyone everybody thank you, thank you guys out towards i believe this is one that we have im not, sure that there is a united message here. Youre heading out. Now. Youre heading out to one 14th and broadway well, is that right . No one here is left to document whatever im heading towards those gates opening the case now im, not sure if you know if they afford us out. Obviously, not and as far as you it seems a julia had Hamilton Hall. I dont know if you can still see halogen hall. Is there any movement over there you cant see anymore ill show you whats happening from him as a whole. Now, you see those officers coming out on the left side of the screen. Theyre coming from the direction of Hamilton Hall right behind the bleachers here. Thats where It Him Nelson Hall is right there. That building up there thats Hamilton Hall. We cant we dont have we cant see it anymore. It polices just pushing us okay julia remarkable work. I really appreciate it. Well check in with you momentarily soon as you get situated shimon prokupecz. Shimon, where are you and what do you say . So where on 143 were just the nypd has put us all in an area here in expectation we will see some people leaving. Were here on 100 street ill just outside the gates here in the front and were just waiting to see if anyone comes out. We have seen some very we have seen heavily armed officers and some big trucks arriving here, which is pretty significant. And right now, much of the Law Enforcement is just standing around and some of the students so we live in the dorms here cmon, largest standing around there. Let me shimon, let me ask you, were looking at a shot from Spectrum News new york one of officers, it looks like gaining entrance to a building on some sort of a crane or looking at into a window with a riot shield held up to the window. Are you seeing that . Do you know what that is not on my side. I cant say i know what that is. I have a shot of it from the feed that is the Emergency Services unit. I think john had been just talking about them i believe thats who that is. They are the specialty trained heavily armed who go into these types of situations barricaded situations, situations where people are inside homes inside buildings and are refusing to leave and they are trained specifically trained. You see there one of them is holding a ballistic shield you see several other officers. Theyre standing im not sure about what those officers are doing. But this here now, this shot that im seeing from Spectrum News, youre seeing one of the officers with a ballistic shield the other officers are looking in to see to see whats in there. But these are the officers that are going in to this building where several of the protesters broke in early this morning. So is that the hamiltonian building . Remember this thats what it appears to be focused from what i can tell, shimon, let me bring in john miller. John with your experience to the end by pd theyre on a rather large Armored Vehicle that has a crane like the arm thats brought them up to that window and now it looks like theyre gaining entrance into that window. Yeah. So thats a bear cat. Normally thats a bulletproof rescue vehicle. That they use when people are pinned down by gunfire, not the purpose here. The purpose is to use that feature of the vehicle where it has this basically Cherry Picker Type Device that can reach up to a second or third floor window and allow entrants they are anticipating based on the information in the observations ive had that the door is on the bottom level are heavily barricaded entering from i think i lost the mike, their haganah therell be entering from the bottom. But they will also from above and that shield is basically just because if they confront somebody and something is thrown at them, sprayed at them, tossed at them. They they want to be prepared the it seems like john they would be entering this. I mean, it looks i would imagine theyre going to be entering this building from multiple locations one of the concerns that Law Enforcement has expressed is how many of these people inside this building are actually students and if theyre not students who are they . Yeah. So theyre going to have to sort people out and theyre going to have to sort people from who is a columbia student, who is an outsider will they be charged the same or differently depending on if they were a student or not . But theyre there. First thing is to collect those people, put them into custody get them to a central location, and then start to move them out because its going to take a while to clear that building because theyre going to take everybody into custody that they can see who doesnt belong there but then theyre going to have to search the building to find out who may be hiding in some closets, basements, some room under a bed either because theyre frightened or because theyre trying to avoid the police im john as we continue to watch this, tim knopp a Columbia University professor and cnn president ial story. Now also is joining us tim, i mean, you know, columbia well, im wondering what you make of what has been going on there. What youre seeing right now . Well, im terribly concerned and im pretty im very sad. I understand why the University Saw the takeover of Hamilton Hall is an escalation i look forward to learning why they decided to move. Now the building was taken over earlier today lets make clear to everybody Freedom Of Speech does not include vandalism it does not protect you and few take a building or occupy a building. So this is not what the students engaged in. The demonstrators was not the exercise of their First Amendment rights today, they escalate the situation my concern, however, is that when you blink the bring the police in there are unintended consequences. Im sure and i worry about students getting hurt, not deliberately by the police, but things can happen and its very difficult to control a situation like this. John miller will know better than me but i worry about the health of my students and i worry about the health of students whove made mistakes. I i am saddened, was saddened by the escalation that the Student Demonstrators engaged in today. It really was unjustified regardless of the moral outrage one should have about the effect on civilians in gaza that is not a justification for engaging in violent acts here in New York City. So what has happened today is terribly worrying. And what were watching now, because of the unexpected and the role of accident could turn out very badly. So i worry about the health and safety of the students end of the police to judge scheindlin, when you were on campus as a student back then, i mean, there were it was antiwar demonstrations was there this pitting of students against each other, which is what weve been seeing. This, this animosity of how im jewish students have been treated and others . No, i dont think there was i think there were activists and less asked activists and the less activist simply stayed away from the protesters. But i dont think there was at internal dissent that youre seeing now, which is so pronounced was there widespread support on campus and 68 i for the prototype, think there was more widespread support than there is now. Now its a very different situations, very polarizing. As you can imagine, given the context of these protests as you look at this, as i look at this its, its a hard balancing act to gain control. But then you just dont want to over militarize your response. So when i see this number of Police Officers, you just want to make you youre praying that they get it right . That there just enough office so that theyre able to control the situation and not too many officers that it causes another escalation where you see people responding to the response of the police. And thats what i thought we were seeing a little bit of that when you saw that barricades being one around because thats whats thats what happens. Weve seen in other jurisdictions where the response by the police causes an escalation. But do you think that Columbia Administration really had much choice at this point . There has been breaking into property, occupying a building. Do you think they had any choice but to go on the police at this point . I i i think calling the police was appropriate. Okay. I think restoring order the appropriate i think that the challenges once it rises to that level making sure that you get it right and protecting life at all costs hi, to marquez, miguel, what are you seeing outside . Its actually miguel watching the officers as theyre gaining entry from that bear cat they are not in full padded riot gear or anything like that. They are relatively it seems i mean, theyre wearing riot helmets and they zip ties, but it doesnt look like they are. There. It seems like theyre going in in a very particular way. Right . Were not, we are not seeing any officers in full tactical gear. Were seeing all officers in helmets and buttons and the cuffs the bear cat that you are seeing Hamilton Hall backs on to Amsterdam Avenue, which is sort of open to the city that has windows there that they can get up to and get into Hamilton Hall of they have the video that weve seen from Inside Hamilton some holiday. They were barricading doors down at the the ground level. Thats why they were pulling food up all day long and drinks up to students all day long at Hamilton Hall so they are trying to make entry there. There are other ways into Hamilton Hall as well that police can probably make take advantage of and right now, i can look at this. Theres, theres yet another bus. This is the fourth large bus weve seen coming down one 14 the gate we are next to is the main gate that Police Officers entered in since we last spoke, dozens and dozens more Police Officers are gonna gone in. And kenneth fetus, look down 14. So these are all Resonance Dorms along hundred 14th street. Police have taken up physicians in front of the doors of every single domicile on 114 street to keep students and residents in. You can hear some chanting. Sometimes we can hear a little bit right now but we havent seen any of the arrestees, anybody arrested coming out of 114. There is oh, now, we are seeing them actually, we are seeing people arrested coming out down the streets, coming down another another entrance down 114 and theyre starting to bring people out of the columbia grounds down. 114th street and putting them on these buses that theyve brought in to here. Ive i saw i kinda three or four it is not clear how many people for our participating in this. The assumption was there was about several hundred, maybe 300 or so in both the encampment and in Hamilton Hall. I will tell you this all kicked off two weeks ago when there was a one Cabinet Police came amid arrest. They arrested 108 people 7070 of those people were not columbia students. So i think police are going to be n columbias going to be looking for that today clearly police now control everything inside the campus. They have moved us to media down to this main gate where they made entry into the campus. And they are arresting people site and then bring them out. Another gate just down the way i see another one, perhaps to more people who are in cuffs being led to buses right now coming out of columbia. So we have a handful of arrests so far less than a dozen. So before from this side anyway, it sounds like there were some arrests, but those were it sounded like those were protesters who were outside the gates on the Amsterdam Side who were arrested a little earlier tonight anderson, john john miller, as you watch this. And were watching this splitscreen both on the left of police, on the left side of the screen in case youre just joining us entering via a barricade through a window into Hamilton Hall from the Amsterdam Avenue on the right were seeing another Vantage Point by the gate, one of the many gates into the columbia campus. We no longer have a camera with eyes on the front entrance to Hamilton Hall where there had been john hey, line of protesters who had not gone into the building who were sort of forming a Human Barricade those were likely if they chose to stay there, were like played the first arrest or we can show the video from earlier of what the scene was like outside Hamilton Hall from our reporter who is on the scene. Julia vargas jones and her Camera Person they came. So john, the it whats not clear is if the if theyve also now breached the entrance of Hamilton Hall, the front entrance. This is from moments ago when police are first approaching Hamilton Hall, whether the people are being led out right now, are just being some of those who may have been arrested, who were out sort of forming that Human Barricade on the front steps of Hamilton Hall its not clear to me whether police have actually entered Hamilton Hall through the front. We note we see them going in through a window on what i guess is the second floor, but we dont know about the front door. No, because are our vision is limited because they have taken the media out and basically taking them off campus. But we do know that they have the cooperation of the columbia Campus Administration and security. So when it comes to hamilton Hamilton Hall, theyre able to enter theyre from multiple sides. Theyll have the keys. Theyll have the access cards that will get them in. And what you wanna do is you want to come in from above demonstrators. Have you can at the same level, theyre at. And from multiple sides. So wherever people attempt to flee or hide, they should be running into police who were there, who are going to try to control that ground, but to get to the core of your question, their plan was to form their perimeter and then give people a chance to walk away. So that the group of students that were ringing the building front with their arms locked, theyd be told, heres your warning. Those who want to walk away can walk away now those who want to remain will be arrested. So they they get that choice so what were likely seeing is people who walked away, who are not charged, and then people who youre going to see in those flex cuffs that looked like zip ties . Now those will be people who were taken into custody because they remained after the warning and then police will remove whatever barricades are at those front doors with esu, the Emergency Service unit, and go in through the front as part of their kind of multi entrance entry into this building. Its interesting about how repeats itself. Hey, john, i wanted to check in with miguel. Miguel, i understand youre seeing a lot more people being arrested yeah. We are police are moving us again to the area where they are coming out im actually looking bit of a squeeze here. Its going to get police are now moving us down to where the people being arrested are coming out. If you look at these buses, you can see the number of people inside the buses. There. Many of them with columbia sweaters, a lot of them wearing cafe is i see at least what get much i see at least a dozen people in that bus. This box has lots of Police Officers who are with arrestees on this bus. If it must be in the dozens at this point in here are more people who are coming out of columbia right now. They are single biggest down were just going to keep moving quickly as possible here comes Somebody Else whos been arrested two more for arrestees. Police are still moving for further thank you this this is where they seem to be bringing out most of the arrestees right through here and they want to put us it. Sounds like you want to put us in these pens right across here. Were going to stand right here for now. And see what happens, what youre back there, i can move over to your were going to move us, i think in a second here, but we will stay here for now but yes, so this this gate is as close as you can get to handle sutton hall on 114. They move move us closer basically to Amsterdam Avenue look down this way. Can if youd looked down. Now, im one 14 for amsterdam, you can see i cant tell if those are protesters or people just onlookers, but there was a man absolute number of people down on amsterdam as well and im looking to seek as folks are running direction it looks like its just media can be down here right now. This gaetz is the one thats going to see most of the protesters coming out those who have been arrested will be coming through this gate. There are three or four buses here, and weve already seen probably two to three dozen people arrested at this point also watching this is in their stephanie rawlins, blake, former mayor of baltimore, you were there. Theyre moving reporters. It looks like two location to actually see people being brought hello so in the command center, what is happening is theyre trying to figure out what are the flashpoints, what are the potential flashpoint . And we saw those students and Protesters Arm arm, that is a potential flash point that means if the reporters were there with the cameras on that, thats an opportunity for people to react to what, you know is going to be ugly scene with the police, probably having to drag the protesters if they did not move on their own. What we will see probably later because im sure theyre all wearing body cameras is exactly what that looked like. But by moving the press back, taking care of that situation, and only showing thank them when they are coming out, they removed a potential flash point, a Potential Opportunity for chaos in that area John Miller Indices so many people hiding their faces on campus and now in the streets, i assume some of these people in the streets or not students because they werent on campus and were able to gain access to the campus, but i mean, is that an issue for police when or even School Administrators when when progenitors not allowing them yourselves to be identified well, its been interesting because i was up at columbia last week. I was up at city college last week and a lot of the demonstrators, even when the press, who is there our own cameras, which are there to cover the demonstration that they are putting on to bring Attention Tinder this attempt to shoot them, they push the cameras back, they cover their faces. Theyre wearing masks. I think that they have some belief that if there is something going on like this right now and theyre caught on video. That video will later be used as evidenced in court. So youve seen a lot of hoodies, a lot of masks, a lot of concealing but at this point as as, as, as we learned going by those buses, theres people on the buses and theres Police Officers with them each one of those Police Officers may have two or three of those arrests and theyre going to have to articulate what they saw and what they did that clause that arrests so that they can testify to that and that will be on their body cameras and those people will be identified. He joined Columbia University, just released a statement that reads in part, im going to read it. Youre right now a little after 9 00 p. M. This evening my pd arrived on campus of the universitys request. This decision was made to restore safety in order to our community. We regret that protesters have chosen to escalate the situation through their actions after the University Learned overnight that Hamilton Hall had been occupied occupied vandalized, and blockaded. We were left with no choice. Columbia Public Safety personnel were forced out for the building and a member of our Facilities Team was threatened. We will not risk the safety of our community or the potential for further escalation. The statement goes on to say we believe that the group that broke into and occupied the building is led by individuals who are not affiliated with the university today sadly, this dangerous situation fallen more than a week of what has been what had been productive discussions with representatives of the West Lawn Encampment statement continues. The decision to reach out to the nypd was in response to the actions of the protesters, not the cause. There championing. We have made it clear that the life of campus cannot be endlessly interrupted by protesters who violate the rules and the law. And john, certainly that is what has occurred on campus. People drumming all hours at the de chanting there are for hundreds of protesters there are thousands of students at columbia trying to study for exams heading toward graduation. Well, its its really interesting because if you compare this to 1968 as as a Shira Scheindlin was talking about the 1968 disorders that Columbia University, which some people call the columbia riots started with a takeover of Hamilton Hall by black students protesting a Segregated Jim that was being built in a park, a public park . White students that were protesting the vietnam then in supported that took over three other buildings College Administration what is very hesitant to call in the police . John, i think you lost your mic. Yeah, i second time. Sorry. The College Administration was very hesitant to call well, then police and looking back on it, a lot of people felt they waited too long and when police did come in it was brutal. It was the Tactical Patrol before thats when they work with helmets and wouldnt night sticks. And dealt with resistance, wouldnt very different ways than they do today. And i think they are looking back at history and saying, you know, what are the red lines, what are the points where we engage in that statement from columbia tells us a lot, which is we were negotiating with the students on the quad. We were in talks that had been going on for days and we had held off on calling the police in for a second time can some of the protesters, i believe the shot is this is out. This is not on the campus itself. This is just outside the Campus Protesters still lighting flares Julia Vargas Jones is joining us. Julie was oncampus when police moved in she and her Camera Person were then moved off off scene. Shes now outside the canvas julie, explain where you are and what youre seeing yeah i am four teeth as one, 14th and Amsterdam Avenue, police just forcibly removed the protesters. They were sitting down on one 14 refusing to leave. Instead of arresting them. Theyre just pushing them out. I think see that. I hope we can see whats going on they were students that were making him human. Shane. Outside of Hamilton Hall. They were plus just like we were out to one 14 streets and now theyre being forcefully removed so thats interesting. Julian said these were the protesters who had the human change that you were showing us earlier on the steps of Hamilton Hall . Im saying they werent actually arrested immediately. They were actually just kind of herded off campus. And thats who these people are yes. Thats people. And they also they stopped on one 14th on the weight of being forcibly stopped here. They were on three on the Ground Anderson Locking On again, trying to show there that they will not leave, but theres only so much that you can do. Against the nypd so theyve now been pushed off the street. Jareh one 14th and amsterdam, i can see so they were pushed off. Interesting that they were not they were not arrested and still havent been arrested know there were not arrested. They were just pushed out. Theyre out here with everyone else. So myself, hundreds of other students that were pushed out off campus. Were here on one 14th and amsterdam. I cant go back insides a lot of people cant go one 14th is completely closed off to traffic and traffic we just saw a father toddler, daughter trying to get home eventually, please let him go through by a nightmare for everyone, anyone who lives on the upper west sayyed, theres lots of people trying to get from one side to the other absolutely. Possible. Now weve been like i said, weve been pushed on to amsterdam anybody will eventually get back into campus im graduate of journalism and we were told that we would have access back to canvas. Im out here, anderson, just my phone, airpods, and a bag how to repack, so i dont know how long will actually last all of our things are inside all her belongings, learning sides we didnt plan to be kicked out. We were told that we would have guaranteed entry, especially media it would be able to go back and forth from campus and outs nypds think absolutely not. Theres no way that could happen. Understand why im going to show limit more of the action here. Can you get up here, karina bit and just show a little bit. Theres everything is stopped. And now the process has basically moved all too outside and everyone that was inside is now outside. The chance are the same its the same people with the same coffee. Now, were just on one 14th and amsterdam julia, you may only have an airpod and a cell phone and a berry pack. You and your campus are doing a great job. Were going to come check in with you julia, juliet km, seen in National Security analysts, is joining us as well. Julia, i mean, its kinda the left side of your screen. I mean, its kind of remarkable shot. A gate to columbia. You see some protesters. I dont know if theyre students are not who are on the outside well, im not sure actually, what side of the gate they are on, i assume our camera is on the outside, so i assume maybe i dont know where they are but with a flare on one of the front entrances to columbia right . This is so i sit on the phone with People Columbia and gohlke, family ties to it. I know people that are working for the university this . Is this is in an odd way. Its an odd way to describe it. This is a bit of a deescalation given the escalation that happened which is to tell the students to disperse first, this is the difference in what we saw two weeks ago. What the police need to do in all these situations . Question, if they are used, which i have been saying for the last two weeks is a last resort which which is the case here, is you got to give these students and offramp and it looks like that that is actually what happened. They are off the campus and now they are in public property in which this kind of, this kind of behavior, if its disruptive, will be arrested and you get the pool of people that the police are going to rest on campus to be relatively small. And i think thats what you at least from the pictures and what are reporters are . Say matt is what you have that none of this is good or bad, but just in the pool bad could happen. Julia. Julia, sorry. Let me just jump in. I just got a clarification that got on the left is actually its college. Thats not a columbia games. Thats where the correct. Yeah. I didnt recognize it yeah. Yeah. City college, which is about 20 Black Fox North from the club. This is this is the dynamics of what were experiencing now, which is of course, all these schools are feeding off of each other, are the students are, of course, especially in new york, students other campuses are going to have to pay notice. I want to do some good news here because this is stressful and you do worry about whatever you think about these kids are these students, no one wants them dead or violence to happen, and that is as a parent, im saying that as a parent of college students, im saying that this protest, however, became a trespass and a criminal trespass that is not appropriate. The college gave many off ramps and now is resorting to this in the good news face, i just have to say we are seeing as ive been reporting for the last week on sort of whats happening at these colleges and universities. Theres actually its tremendous deescalation going on throughout the nation. So columbia remains an outlier the people and hopefully they can deescalate this. But we do know that when colleges and universities are giving students off ramps and engaging they deescalate it, it and you look at the wesleyan is the browns northwesterns others and so as a national phenomenon, we are we are, we are looking at sort of the attempts to isolate the problem at columbia. And then for the nonstudents, which it seems to me schools have got to get better about Access Control. Its ridiculous that you have so many nonstudents able to penetrate these colleges and universities that theyre under this Threat Environment and to arrest those. But i dont i dont love any of this, but in terms of what i like, what im seeing they started with dsp. Deescalation dispersed. You saw students disbursing. They did not want to get arrested and now youve limited the pool of people or students, or nonstudents that the police have to interact with its in my world, youre just looking for better news over bad news. And so far the dispersal of this is going as we would anticipate, which is, which is sort of a do not escalate too soon. This is what the police did a couple of weeks ago and were seeing a sort of Lessons Learned now. We can figure out how everyone but themselves into this position another time, but nobody needs to get hurt tonight. Thats the most important thing. I say that as a secure handle is done as a mother and so hopefully we will continue to see this is remarkable, just a reports of the number of nonstudents who have been arrested and who had been involved in these demonstrations it is, it is it is. It is so inexplicable to me knowing what all of these colleges and universities have known that they were Access Control became sort of not, not the first option. Police are not the first option there. First oxygen is control the perimeter and protect all the students in particular, students who arent engaged with this at all, right, were in finals, we have graduations coming up and so the basic security and safety protocols that we owe the students and in particular a students that may feel intimidated by some of these protests was not afforded and i should also say protections for the protester. I have been on air lawful protest is okay. Its what we expect an eye. Colleges and universities we shouldnt lose our head about it. We also have to protect those students who are lawful this got this overnight, got escalated, and the goal is to deescalate it and its a responsibility of everyone that thats the primary goal, with stricken with the marquez, whos been what saad monitoring activity. Miguel what are you saying . That where are you and what do you say we are won 114 just near Amsterdam Avenue, police have move this down here. This is the gauge where most of the people being arrested so far have been coming out. We havent seen any in the last 20 minutes or so, but if you look down Amsterdam Avenue, so im going to be a little good of a trick. There are protesters all the way down there. One of the buses there was one bus filled with arrestees that tried to get out. Thats where julia was where they sat down and tried to block that bus from getting out. They cleared them out and move them on another bus, then went up Amsterdam Avenue and thats where the gate on Amsterdam Avenue is an Hammond Molten Hall is just its just up. Im going to step in from the camera. Its just up that way on Amsterdam Avenue. And thats where most of the activity on that side of campuses down here, we still see buses that are waiting for more people who have been arrested to be picked up this comes at the worst time for columbia, it was very clear they wanted to move this out just finished her last name classes there in the middle of finals and commencement isnt a couple of weeks. And as you know, the entire area where the encampment was and that entire central lawn of Columbia University is set up for a massive commencement. Many of the people graduating this year, the administration has pointed out didnt have their High School Graduations because of the panel dominic, so they just really did not want to allow this to happen. And tonight so far, while we hear chanting up and down the streets, and if you could look at ten, if you, if you move across to the buildings over here, you can see the number of Police Officers who are still remain at the doors every single one of the buildings along 114, because people are chanting, people are upsets along this court are lots of students in these buildings and they are chanting their displeasure is happening here. Hold on one second so, so nypd is coming round to say that no tear gas has been used. Apparently, there is some reporting on social media that somebody may have used tear gas they do say that they use flash Flash Bang Grenades or others sort of means to deflect or to surprise anybody that they may encounter but they do not use tear gas they said they use they using Flash Bang Grenades in there. So that gives you a sense of what is happening in Hamilton Hall as they, as they make their way in and try to to make arrests and bring order back to Columbia University and miguel, we are saying on the story as it develops throughout the night right now, i want to hand things over to my colleague, john berman. Thank you so much anderson. And on your screen right now, you can see what we have been watching