We can show you the moment when Police Officers begin to enter Hamilton Hall that is an Academic Building that was occupied in the early hours of tuesday. Nypd officers in riot gear entered the building through a window. Several officers used a ladder to reach an upper floor, crawling through the opening to enter the hall. The protesting students had smashed their way into that building to gain access and had barricaded themselves inside. Meanwhile, those who were detained were moved to police buses you can see here. Students were led off campus with their hands behind their backs. New york police said that no tear gas was used. In a letter to the new york police department, Columbia University said, we believe that while the group who broke into the building includes students, it is led by individuals who are not affiliated with the university. The university had requested help by local police to clear the scene. Just to remind you of the events that led up to this Police Operation anti war protests have been ongoing at Columbia University for multiple weeks. On monday, administrators gave students a 2pm deadline to leave the encampment and commit to all University Policies or face suspension. Protesters have demanded columbia cuts financial ties with israel. In a statement, the white house condemned the actions of students, saying, President Biden respects the right to free expression, but protests must be peaceful and lawful. Forcibly taking over buildings is not peaceful, it is wrong. Live now to rajan menon, director of the grand Strategy Programme at defense priorities, as well as a Senior Research fellow at Columbia University. Very good to see you. We usually talk to you about Geopolitical Affairs and today i want to ask you about the new live very close to Columbia University. What have you been experiencing . It university. What have you been experiencing . Experiencing . It is at 116 and broadway. Experiencing . It is at 116 and broadway. So experiencing . It is at 116 and broadway, so the experiencing . It is at 116 and broadway, so the campus i experiencing . It is at 116 and| broadway, so the campus we experiencing . It is at 116 and broadway, so the campus we are talking about, 120 north to south and west broadway, that is the area you are talking about, there have been protests going on as you know for quite some time. Going on as you know for quite some time going on as you know for quite some time. , h,. ,. ,. , some time. They came to a head. Tell us what some time. They came to a head. Tell us what you some time. They came to a head. Tell us what you experienced tell us what you experienced with this Massive Police presence that arrived at around 9pm local time. What was a like from what you could tell . I think the catalyst was that the students in the encampments entered Hamilton Hall, which is a all that over the years has been taken over by students. They barricaded themselves inside and then the Police Arrived on the scene. I have lived in this neighbourhood for about 20 years and i have never seen this many police and buses and police cars and Police Officers in riot gear, so it has been very eventful. The whole Campus Neighbourhood has been a scene of two module helicopters flying overhead, today has been an exceptional day. Police started converging and asked people to stay inside their homes. Pare and asked people to stay inside their homes. Their homes. Are you surprised to see such their homes. Are you surprised to see such a their homes. Are you surprised to see such a presence, their homes. Are you surprised to see such a presence, as their homes. Are you surprised to see such a presence, as you| to see such a presence, as you said, something you havent seenin said, something you havent seen in this neighbourhood before. I seen in this neighbourhood before. � ~. , seen in this neighbourhood before. � ~. , before. I didnt know exactly who called before. I didnt know exactly who called the before. I didnt know exactly who called the police, before. I didnt know exactly| who called the police, when, but it certainly was visible if you went out on the street and you went out on the street and you could hear the sirens and could hear students and democrat is chanting. Police were doing what they came to do. Were doing what they came to do,. , were doing what they came to do. ,. , ,. , do. Some of the protesters have said that they do. Some of the protesters have said that they want do. Some of the protesters have said that they want to do. Some of the protesters have said that they want to stay do. Some of the protesters have said that they want to stay on i said that they want to stay on campus of course until the University Divests from its ties to israel, and apparently the university has asked police to stay until may 17. Did you see the situation continuing to remain as tense as it has been . I am not going to speak in an official capacity, but my understanding is that the university has decided it will not divest from israel. That was one of the demands of the administrators. When the police leave, it is hard to say. When people from hamilton are cleared, the other hand, there have been so many arrests and it will not sit well with some of the students. It remains to be seen what tomorrow brings. Already, things have quietened down. It is late at night here. You have made clear you are not speaking for colombia university, but there has been criticism of the type of crackdown that we saw from colombia, especially two weeks ago when more than 100 students were arrested. Do you think that the university has been handling the situation well, especially with some of the clashes we have seen . There is a that i dont clashes we have seen . There is a that i dont know clashes we have seen . There is a that i dont know on clashes we have seen . There is a that i dont know on the a that i dont know on the inside so i am not confident to comment on this. I will say the situation is unfolding and getting worse than better. Inaudible. Some encampments removed. Then the camps came up again and a year or so ago there was an ultimatum that if they left, they wouldnt face abstention. Some may have but others chose to stay. And then we arrived at what happened most recently, which is students entering Hamilton Hall and barricading themselves. Then the police came on campus. We have seen these protests spread to universities across the country. What do you think this tells us, that is has become such a flashpoint on such, so many campuses. I cant remember. Such, so many campuses. I cant remember. And such, so many campuses. I cant remember, and looking such, so many campuses. I cant remember, and looking back such, so many campuses. I cant remember, and looking back to l remember, and looking back to the vietnam war, that has left Student Protest so wildly on campuses across the country, and in other countries, inaudible. The police entered the campus because there were people on campus who refused to leave. Whether this will energise the students and they will continue protesting here and elsewhere or whether things will die down, i dont know. Graduation is coming and students will come this may go home for the summer and that will i suspect reduce some of the tension. Many University President s and administrators would be very happy with that. Thank you so much forjoining us and giving us your perspective tonight. Us and giving us your ersective tonirht. , ~ , Campus Demonstrations have also erupted on other campuses, including at the university of texas at austin, where Police Clashed with demonstrators on monday. But Brown University in rhode island says its made a deal with protesters if they pack up, its Governing Body will hold a vote on divestment from companies with ties to israel. Anti war protests are also spreading to campuses in other parts of the world. In canada, demonstrators set up encampments at mcgill university. Other canadian universities have warned activists that similar camps will not be tolerated on their properties. In france, School Officials at sciences po closed part of campus following the occupation of the premises. And in lebanon, hundreds of students gathered on campuses to protest against israels campaign in gaza, the countrys first coordinated University Protests over the war. As Universities Grapple with balancing free speech and student safety, i spoke earlier with legal scholar and former president of the American Civil Liberties union Nadine Strossen for her insight. You are very much a champion for the need to protect free speech, and i want to ask you, do you think that the protests in the form that we are seeing them now at places like Columbia University, that these should be protected . Thea;r should be protected . They should be protected . They should be should be protected . They should be protected should be protected . They should be protected to should be protected . Iia should be protected to some extent, but the devil is in the detail. 0ne extent, but the devil is in the detail. One is entitled to engage in peaceful, nondisruptive protests even to express very controversial, even offensive and insulting messages. But the University May and should enforce what we lawyers call content and viewpoint neutral time place and manner regulations, in other words, that certain expression in certain places at certain times in certain matters may not be engaged in because it disrupts the functioning of the university. Give us an example of what that would be. Pm give us an example of what that would be. � i, would be. An overnight encampment. Would be. An overnight encampment. The would be. An overnight encampment. The university, along with most universities, has content and viewpoint neutral rules that say no matter what view you are advocating on, no matter what issue, you may not camp out overnight for sustained periods for a number of reasons that have nothing to do with disagree with your message. They have to do with blocking access important parts of the campus for other students and faculty members, they had to do with a diversion of police and Public Safety and resources that detract from the ability to protect safety and provide resources and other areas of the campus, they have to do with displacing other expressive activities by other students and groups that should. Students and groups that should. Students and groups that should. , , should. Could i ust ump in there because h should. Could i ust ump in there because i h should. Could ijust ump in there because i want should. Could ijustjump in there because i want to should. Could ijustjump in there because i want to ask l should. Could ijustjump ini there because i want to ask there because i want to ask to students who have been protesting that it was a university that escalated the situation by calling on the police when they were exercising their right to free speech. What do you think of that . ,. ,. , that . To use the old cliche two wronrs that . To use the old cliche two wrongs do that . To use the old cliche two wrongs do not that . To use the old cliche two wrongs do not make that . To use the old cliche two wrongs do not make a that . To use the old cliche two wrongs do not make a right, i wrongs do not make a right, first of all, the university did have a legal right to call in Law Enforcement, that is not mean that it was the correct thing to do. One would hope that in an Educational Institution, one would try to use persuasion and negotiation and calling Police Officers only as a last resort. I completely agree with you that a tactic backfired but it does not negate the fact that the university has a right to remove those students from those places. And then last night students occupied, broke into, physically broke into, creating vandalism and property destruction, it broke into an administrator building the blocked access not only to the functions that would usually occupy the building, but resulted in the university barring access to the campus for other students and faculty members. So this is a severe interference with not only the Free Speech Rights of others, but the rights to pursue an education. We have to leave the conversation there, but thank you so much forjoining us today. My pleasure. Thank you so much. In the middle east, israels Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu has again vowed to invade the Southern Gazan City Of Rafah despite international pressure. The white house says just two days ago us President Joe Biden reiterated his clear position to Prime Minister netanyahu in a phone call. Mr biden previously called a Ground Invasion of rafah a red line. Another warning came from un secretary general antonio guterres, who said an assault on rafah would be an unbearable escalation. The doubling down from Benjamin Netanyahu comes as israel and hamas work towards an agreement for a ceasefire and hostage releases. But in a meeting with relatives of hostages, mr netanyahu said he would invade rafah With Or Without a Ceasefire Deal. Translation we will enter rafah because we have no other choice. We will destroy the hamas battalions there. We will complete the war, including the repatriation of all our abductees. There have also been reports from israeli officials that the International Criminal court is preparing to issue Arrest Warrants for mr netanyahu. 0ther Israeli Government leaders and military commanders could also be charged for actions related to the war on hamas. In response to that speculation, the israeli Prime Minister said his arrest would be a scandal on an historic scale. 0ur Security CorrespondentFrank Gardner is injerusalem following developments. Ok, so, a lot of things are happening or about to happen here in this part of the world over the coming hours and days. Antony blinken, the us secretary of state, has arrived here. Hes only spending less than a day in israel, but he will be pushing for the Ceasefire Deal. I do not think he would be too impressed by the statements coming out of Prime Minister netanyahu today, talking about going into rafah whether or not there is a Ceasefire Deal, a truce deal, because the us is opposed to israel going into rafah. Youve also got the icc. This is a real threat being taken very seriously by Prime Minister netanyahu and his cabinet. This is the threat by the International Criminal court that israel believes is about to issue Arrest Warrants for a number of senior Israeli Military and political figures, including Prime Minister netanyahu for or at least in relation to israels treatment of palestinians both in gaza and in the west bank. Prime minister netanyahu is absolutely livid about this. He has issued a furious rebuttal to it, saying that this would be a historic mistake, but he is clearly very worried because even though israel, like the United States, is not a signatory to the icc, if these warrants were issued, that is121l countries that he cannot visit and it would essentially make israel something of a pariah state. Against the backdrop of all of this, you have got hamas studying the text of the Ceasefire Deal and they could well be announcing their acceptance or rejection of it in the next 21l hours. If the deal was signed and we started seeing israeli hostages coming out, let out peacefully from gaza in return for large numbers of palestinian prisoners, then its unlikely that the Rafah Operation would go ahead, at least not immediately, and that would give everybody some breathing space, something that gaza desperately needs. For more on the latest developments, i spoke to Gina Abercrombie winstaley, president of the middle east policy council. If you look at what we discussed in the region, Prime Minister netanyahu vowing to go ahead with an offensive in rafah, that there is an agreement with hostages or not, what do you think of that . I think he has several reasons for saying that. He can keep saying it until he changes his mind or until he announces that he is not going to do it. It helps him to k