Post Detail

Columbia's interim president apologizes to protesters who occupied campus for 'hurt' caused by NYPD

Join Fox News for access to this content Plus special access to select articles and other premium content with your account - free of charge. By entering your email and pushing continue, you are agreeing to Fox News' Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, which includes our Notice of Financial Incentive. Please enter a valid email address.

Armstrong became interim president of the elite school last month when Minouche Shafik stepped down as president amid ongoing condemnation of her handling of campus protests last year that often turned violent. 

Agitators and student protesters flooded college campuses nationwide last school year to protest the war in Israel, which also included spiking instances of antisemitism and Jewish students publicly speaking out that they don’t feel safe on some campuses. 

New York Police Department officers detain dozens of pro-Palestinian students at Columbia University after they barricaded themselves at the Hamilton Hall building on April 30, 2024. (Selcuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images)

This undated photo provided by Columbia University on Aug. 16, 2024, shows interim President Katrina Armstrong. (Jorg Meyer Photography/Columbia University via AP)

Agitators and pro-Hamas demonstrators stormed the university's Hamilton Hall at the end of April, occupying the building for nearly 24 hours before members of the NYPD were granted permission by the university to take it back from the protesters. The officers were overwhelmingly dressed in riot gear to carry out the operation, and "used electric saws, stun grenades, and other tactical gear to sweep" the building, according to the student newspaper's report published Thursday. 

Student protesters camp on the campus of Columbia University, April 30, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, Pool, File)

During the widespread campus protests last school year, the NYPD also swept a tent encampment housing the protesters, which was dubbed the "Gaza Solidarity Encampment," before the university dismantled the encampment in May. 

All in, the NYPD arrested about 200 protesters on Columbia's campus last school year. 

New York police detain dozens of pro-Palestinian students at Columbia University in New York on April 30, 2024. (Selcuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images)

A protester is removed from Columbia University's Hamilton Hall in New York on April 30, 2024. (Selcuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images)

"Why is she apologizing? An apology sends the message that there shouldn’t be consequences for breaking the rules," Ari Shrage, cofounder of the Columbia Jewish Alumni Association, told the New York Post, calling the remarks "tone deaf." "This is exactly the opposite of what Columbia needs now."

Anti-Israel demonstrators gather on the campus of Columbia University on April 29, 2024. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Columbia Law School graduate Rory Lancman added that Armstrong kicking off the new school year by apologizing is an "ominous sign for Columbia’s dwindling cohort of Jewish students." 

A Columbia University spokesperson told Fox Digital on Sunday when asked about Armstrong's comments that, "From day one, Interim President Armstrong has been focused on engaging with and listening to a wide range of students and communities across the university and has heard about the harm they experienced last academic year."

"Dr. Armstrong gave a wide-ranging interview with the student newspaper that in part focused on the impact of the past year, and just as she has as done while speaking to many groups across our campus, she recognized their pain and reiterated how sorry she is to all students who are hurting. She remains committed to ensuring everyone at the university feels safe and respected as we rebuild and heal this year."