New York City police officers enter Columbia University campus in large numbers

Columbia University's campus was the site of a pro-Palestinian protest that turned into a standoff between students and police. The protesters, who had set up tents on campus, refused to leave despite repeated warnings from authorities. On April 30, New York City police officers entered the campus in large numbers, using flash-bangs to disperse the crowd. According to reports, dozens of arrests were made as police cleared the area. Police received authorization from university officials to take action against the protesters, who were refusing to leave despite repeated warnings. The standoff lasted for several hours before police cleared the area and arrested dozens of students. There were reports of no injuries during the arrests, according to NYPD spokesman Carlos Nieves. However, some sources mentioned that teargas was used by police, while others denied this claim. Despite the controversy surrounding the use of force, the police maintained that they were simply carrying out their duty to clear the area and restore order on campus.