Some alert texts below are approximate reconstructions from news coverage, not confirmed verbatim transcripts. Reconstructed texts are shown in italic with a dashed border. Verified verbatim texts have a solid border and are marked accordingly.
INITIAL ALERTEmail
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NYU Public Safety Notice: A protest encampment has been established at Gould Plaza near the Stern School of Business. Access to the plaza is restricted. Please avoid the area and use alternate routes. The university is monitoring the situation and will provide updates as needed.
This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.
Reconstructed from NYU official statements and media accounts of the university's communications during the encampment
NYU closed access to the plaza and put barriers in place to prevent additional protesters from joining
UPDATEEmail
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NYU Public Safety Update: The university has asked protesters at Gould Plaza to disperse. Those who remain are in violation of university policy and may face disciplinary action. NYPD has been contacted to assist with maintaining campus safety. Please continue to avoid the area.
This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.
Reconstructed from media accounts of NYU's communications as the deadline passed
NYU stated that protesters who refused to leave within an hour were subject to removal
Faculty and student groups later disputed claims of disorderly conduct, stating the protest was peaceful
ALL CLEAREmail
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NYU Public Safety Update: NYPD operations at Gould Plaza have concluded. The encampment has been cleared. Normal campus operations will resume. Counseling and support services are available for students affected by today's events.
This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.
Reconstructed from NYU post-clearance statements and media coverage
NYPD initially said more than 150 people had been arrested but later revised the figure to 120; 116 received summonses for trespass and four faced additional charges
This morning, some 50 protesters began a demonstration on the plaza in front of the business school. This occurred without notice to the University, and without authorization. The University closed access to the plaza, put barriers in place, and made clear that we were not going to allow additional protesters to join because the protests were already considerably disruptive of classes and other operations in schools around the plaza. Nonetheless we made no move to clear the plaza at that point because high among the University's aims was to avoid any escalation or violence. So, the University was deeply disturbed when, early this afternoon, additional protesters, many of whom we believe were not affiliated with NYU, suddenly breached the barriers that had been put in place at the north side of the plaza and joined the others already on the plaza. This development dramatically changed the situation. We witnessed disorderly, disruptive, and antagonizing behavior that has interfered with the safety and security of our community, and that demonstrated how quickly a demonstration can get out of control or people can get hurt. At one point, we explained to the protesters that they needed to disband in an hour, and there would be no adverse consequences. Nevertheless, many refused to leave. We also learned that there were intimidating chants and several antisemitic incidents reported. Given the foregoing and the safety issues raised by the breach, we asked for assistance from the NYPD. The police urged those on the plaza to leave peacefully, but ultimately made a number of arrests. We will continue to support individuals' right to freedom of expression, and, as we have said since October, the safety of our students and maintaining an equitable learning environment remain paramount.
Verbatim full text of the official statement by NYU spokesperson John Beckman published on the NYU news site on the evening of April 22, 2024
The phrase 'we believe were not affiliated with NYU' became central to subsequent disputes; faculty and student-press observers documented that most arrestees were affiliates
The statement reframes the encampment as a safety/security incident triggering NYPD assistance, and is the institutional record NYU pointed faculty and media to in subsequent days
Context
Background
The NYU Gould Plaza encampment was part of a wave of pro-Palestinian campus protests that swept American universities in April 2024, inspired by the Columbia University encampment established days earlier. Students began setting up tents around 6 a.m. on April 22 in the plaza near the Stern School of Business, calling on NYU to divest from companies with ties to Israel. NYU's spokesperson stated that the protest was 'considerably disruptive' and that barriers were breached by additional protesters. The NYPD moved in just after 8:15 p.m., with officers in riot gear arresting protesters and putting them in zip ties. The NYU chapter of the American Association of University Professors disputed the university's characterization, stating there was 'no incitement' at the protest. The incident drew national attention as one of several high-profile campus protest crackdowns that week.
Outcome
120 people were arrested per NYPD's revised count (initial reports of more than 130-150 were later corrected). 116 were released with summonses for trespass; four others faced additional charges of obstructing governmental administration and resisting arrest.