Police clash with campus protesters at Columbia University

HITTING TO THE AREAS HIT HARD BY THE TORNADO OUTBREAK OVER THE WEEKEND. >> Robin: WE'RE GOING TO BEGIN WITH THE CLASHES AT UNIVERSITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY. TAKE A LOOK AT THE SCENE RIGHT NOW. PROTESTERS ON CAMPUS THERE IN NORTH CAROLINA. AND THEN OVERNIGHT PROTESTERS HERE IN NEW YORK AT COLUMBIA BARRICADED THEMSELVES INSIDE THE SCHOOL AND NOW THE UNIVERSITY IS TAKING MORE ACTION. STEPHANIE RAMOS IS THERE ON THE SCENE FOR US. GOOD MORNING TO YOU, STEPHANIE. >> Reporter: ROBIN, GOOD MORNING. DESPITE WARNINGS OF THE SUSPENSION AND EXPULSION FOR STUDENTS INVOLVED HERE, SOME PRO PALESTINIAN PROTESTERS SET UP MORE TENTS ON CAMPUS AND STORMED THE ACADEMIC BUILDING OVERNIGHT. THEY SAY IT IS ALL IN SUPPORT OF GAZA. >> FREE FREE PALESTINE! >> Reporter: OVERNIGHT, PRO PALESTINIAN PROTESTERS GATHERING OUTSIDE COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY'S HAMILTON HALL AND THEN STORMING THE BUILDING. VIDEO CAPTURING STUDENTS SLAMMING DESK, BREAKING WINDOWS AND BARRICADING THEMSELVES INSIDE. JUST AFTER 12:30 A.M. THIS MORNING DOZENS LEFT THE ENCAMPMENT AND ENTERED THE HALL. >> YOU NEED TO STOP BOMBING. STOP KILLING, MASSACRE OF PALESTINIANS IN GAZA. THAT'S HOW YOU END THE WAR. >> Reporter: AT LEAST ONE PERSON ARRESTED MONDAY OUTSIDE COLUMBIA, SEEN HERE BEING TAKEN INTO CUSTODY. >> LET THEM GO! >> Reporter: OVERNIGHT AT VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY, A LARGE CROWD OF PRO PALESTINIAN PROTESTERS CLASHING WITH POLICE IN RIOT GEAR. VIDEO SHOWING POLICE SPRAYING WHAT APPEARS TO BE PEPPER SPRAY AT PROTESTERS. THE UNIVERSITY TELLING ABC NEWS, MULTIPLE ARRESTS WERE MADE AND CLAIMS THAT MANY INDIVIDUALS INVOLVED WERE IN THE STUDENTS. THIS AS SIMILAR CLASHES ARE PLAYING OUT AT MORE THAN 60 COLLEGE CAMPUSES ACROSS THE U.S. UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS IN AUSTIN DOZENS ARRESTEDED A STUDENTEDS AND POLICE IN RIOT GEAR CLASHED. UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA SAYING IT IS NOT A DAY CARE AND WE DO NOT TREAT PROTESTER LIKES CHILDREN. THEY KNEW THE RULES. THEY BROKE THE RULES. JEWISH STUDENTS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE ISSUE, SOME WHO ARE PRO ISRAEL, SAY THEY'VE BEEN HARASSED. AT USC, ADMINISTRATORS CANCELING THEIR MAIN COMMENCEMENT CEREMONY DUE TO PROTESTS. MANY OF THE SOON TO BE GRADUATES MISSED THEIR HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION DUE TO THE PANDEMIC. >> MY HIGH SCHOOL JUST HAD A DRIVE THROUGH GRADUATION. I WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO HAVING THIS MAIN CEREMONY, TRADITIONAL GRADUATION FOR MY WHOLE LIFE. >> Reporter: BACK HERE AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY, OFFICIALS HAVE NOT COMMENTED ON THE ACTIONS OF THOSE STUDENTEDS THAT STORMED THOSE BUILDINGS. TALKS ARE AT A STAND STILL BUT, GUYS, ALREADY SO MANY STUDENTS HAVE BEEN SUSPENDED. >> Robin: OUR THANKS TO YOU. WE'RE GOING TO BRING IN DAN ABRAMS. SO MUCH AT PLAY HERE. ONE CONCERN IS THE RIGHTS, THE FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS OF THE STUDENTS. HOW DOES FREE SPEECH PLAY INTO THIS? >> THE FIRST AMENDMENT IS NOT ABSOLUTE. THINK ABOUT LIBEL LAWS. SOMEONE CAN SAY SOMETHING ABOUT SOMEONE ELSE AND THEY CAN GET SUED OVER IT. THEY CAN'T SAY, IT'S MY FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHT TO SAY IT. THERE ARE RESTRICTIONS IN THE FIRST AMENDMENT. TO HAVE A PARADE IN THE CITY, YOU STILL HAVE TO GET A PERMIT. YOU CAN'T JUST SAY WE'RE ALLOWED TO DO IT. THE UNIVERSITIES AND THE AUTHORITIES WOULD SAY, WE'RE NOT TARGETING WHAT THEY'RE SAYING. IT'S NOT BECAUSE OF WHAT FLAG THEY'RE HOLDING UP. IT'S BECAUSE OF THE ACTIONS THAT THEY'RE TAKING. THEY'RE SHUTTING DOWN BUILDINGS, TRESPASSING ON PRIVATE PROPERTY. THAT'S NOT PROTECTED BY THE FIRST AMENDMENT. >> George: THE STUDENTEDS WHO ARE NOT PROTESTING HAVE THEIR RIGHTS AS WELL. >> CORRECT. MOST IMPORTANTLY, THE UNIVERSITY HAS THE AUTHORITY TO DETERMINE WHAT THEY DO AND THEY DON'T WANT ON THEIR CAMPUS. YOU HAVE MUCH MORE AUTONOMY WHEN YOU'RE A PRIVATE UNIVERSITY TO SAY, THIS IS WHAT WE WANT. YOU DON'TED HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT BEING IN THE ARM OF THE GOVERNMENT. EVEN PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES IN THE CONTEXT, THINK ABOUT A PUBLIC PARK. WE'VE SEEN IT MANY TIMES. ENCAMPMENTS CAN BE BUILT IN A PUBLIC PARK. EVENTUALLY THEY CAN SAY, SORRY, GUYS. YOU CAN'T HAVE THIS IN A PUBLIC PARK. SAME BASIC IDEA HERE. EVEN THOUGH THERE'S MORE PROTECTIONS IN A PUBLIC UNIVERSITY THAN PRIVATE,

Channel: ABC News

Views: 116,036

Keywords: news, breaking news, live news, daily news, world news, us news, columbia, university, nyc, nypd, police, protests, pro-palestine, war, encampents, hamilton hall, gaza, israel, gma, abc news

Id: UsjPsbd22uk

Length: 4min 45sec (285 seconds)

Published: Tue Apr 30 2024