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NYPD: No danger to students during Cooper Union protest
By
David Giambusso
and
Bahar Ostadan
Published Oct 26, 2023
Modified Oct 26, 2023
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Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office
By
David Giambusso
and
Bahar Ostadan
Published Oct 26, 2023
Modified Oct 26, 2023
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Police say students were not in serious danger during a pro-Palestinian protest at Cooper Union on Wednesday, after multiple outlets initially reported Jewish students were “barricaded” in the university library.
NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell briefed reporters Thursday morning, saying police were present at the university throughout the protest and that university staff chose to lock a library door as a precaution — but that no threats were made against students supporting Israel or Palestinians, and no criminality was involved.
“There was no direct threat, there was no damage and there was no danger to any students in that school,” Chell said on Thursday. “The students were not barricaded … A school administrator thought it was prudent to close the doors.”
The demonstration was among many across city college campuses Wednesday, organized to protest the Israel-Hamas war and demand a ceasefire in Gaza. Students at Cooper Union walked out of class at around 1 p.m.
Chell said about 20 pro-Palestinian students were among those protesting outside and eventually wanted to go into the president’s office, where school administrators determined it was safe for them to remain.
“They wanted to allow the students to keep talking,” Chell said, adding the students gathered outside the office for about a half-hour.
The same group then went downstairs and a school official decided to post a private security guard at the library and close the doors, where about 20 Jewish students —who police said were silently counterprotesting earlier — waited inside for roughly 10 minutes.
Chell said said some of the pro-Palestinian students started banging on the library's doors and windows looking into the library — as they left, students inside the library were asked if they wanted taxi rides home.
“They said. ‘No, we feel safe, we're good,’ and they all left,” Chell said.
The incident drew widespread attention on social media, which was partly fueled by politicians reacting to videos online.
“Jewish students from Cooper Union had to lock themselves in the library in order to escape an aggressive anti-Israel mob,” Rep. Ritchie Torres posted on X.
City Councilmember Inna Vernikov held a press conference Thursday afternoon demanding Cooper Union President Laura Sparks’ resignation.
“If she cannot handle this job, she needs to resign,” Vernikov said, displaying a box for Sparks’ belongings and a draft resignation letter.
In a statement on Thursday, Vernikov reiterated that call.
"I can speak only to what the students told me directly: which is that they were shaken and terrified, felt fear for their well-being and did not even feel safe to come to Cooper Union today to attend class," the statement said. "The university created and fostered a hostile environment for these students and she should immediately resign."
Spokespeople for Torres did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Cooper Union, likewise, did not respond to a request for comment.
Attempts to reach some of the students inside the library were unsuccessful.
Brittany Kriegstein contributed reporting.
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new york city
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David Giambusso
David is the editor of the Day-of desk. Got a tip? Email [email protected].
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Bahar Ostadan
Bahar Ostadan covers the NYPD and public safety. Got a tip? Email [email protected] or message Bahar on Signal at 646-740-7335.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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