The New York Police Department (NYPD) has uncovered alarming discoveries within a pro-Palestinian encampment on a college campus. According to reports, the police found weapons and a book on terrorism while clearing the encampment.
NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Operations Kaz Daughtry shared a concerning update from Columbia University’s Hamilton Hall on X.
“Pencils, books, laptops, those are the tools of students and what you expect to find on a college campus. But here’s what the NYPD found in Hamilton Hall at Columbia University after we were able to arrest the protestors and agitators for commandeering and barricading themselves inside the building. Gas masks, ear plugs, helmets, goggles, tape, hammers, knives, ropes, and a book on TERRORISM,” he wrote.
“These are not the tools of students protesting, these are the tools of agitators, of people who were working on something nefarious. Thankfully, your NYPD was able to prevent whatever they were planning and stop them before they could do it. Continue to peacefully and lawfully protest; but know that if you engage in illegal conduct, the NYPD will hold you responsible and hold you accountable—someone has to,” he added.
Pencils, books, laptops, those are the tools of students and what you expect to find on a college campus. But here’s what the NYPD found in Hamilton Hall at Columbia University after we were able to arrest the protestors and agitators for commandeering and barricading themselves… pic.twitter.com/EKQV6nJySu
— NYPD Deputy Commissioner, Operations Kaz Daughtry (@NYPDDaughtry) May 3, 2024
Speaking to reporters, NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Operations Kaz Daughtry expressed concerns about the sophisticated organization behind these protests.
“I just want to say—and I’ve said it before—there is somebody behind this movement. There is some organization behind this movement,” said Daughtry.
“The level of organization that we’re seeing in both of these camps, here and at Columbia, is evident from the leaflets on how to protest, how to commit civil disobedience, what to do when you get arrested, and what to say to the police when they question you,” he added.
The NYPD’s Deputy Commissioner of Counterterrorism and Intelligence is reportedly taking a proactive role in investigating these concerns.
“There is somebody funding this; there is somebody radicalizing our students. Our Deputy Commissioner of Counterterrorism and Intelligence will find out who it is,” Daughtry said.
According to Fox News, some of the groups involved in the protests are associated with far-left organizations backed by George Soros. These groups, including National Students for Justice in Palestine (NSJP), have been accused of using anti-Israel rhetoric and promoting radical views.
The Gateway Pundit previously reported that New York City Mayor Eric Adams has alleged that protests at Columbia University and City College of New York (CCNY) were infiltrated by “outside agitators” affiliated with “terrorist groups.”
Adams asserted that the protests were “hijacked” by “outside agitators” with ties to “terrorist groups.” He cited intelligence reports identifying individuals with professional backgrounds and connections to terrorism among those arrested.