NYU said it would not close ahead of planned protests today over the Israel-Hamas conflict in an email from Campus Safety head Fountain Walker Thursday evening. Police told the university they do not currently know of any threats to the NYU community and do not have information suggesting there will be significant activity in Washington Square Park, Walker wrote in the email.
Protests are expected in the city tomorrow after the Palestinian militant group, Hamas, urged its supporters around the world to protest. Both New York state Gov. Kathy Hochul and New York City Mayor Eric Adams have said the city is not currently facing any “credible or specific threats” related to the protests.
Walker said those who feel unsafe coming to campus today should work or go to class remotely, and that students and faculty who do not plan on attending classes in person should communicate with each other accordingly. He also said to be vigilant of safety communications from NYU in case of any changes.
“Throughout the day, members of our community have been expressing anxiety and concerns,” Walker wrote. “We will communicate promptly if we receive additional information that affects the safety of our community or the academic or other operations of the University. We are here for you. Your safety is our priority.”
The New York City Police Department has increased its presence, focusing on sensitive locations, and the Campus Safety Department is on heightened alert, according to Walker.
Earlier this week, Hamas sent a rocket attack into Israeli towns close by, which was followed by Israeli military airstrikes in the Gaza Strip. After Hamas fighters crossed into Israel on Saturday, the Israeli government placed a total blockade on Gaza, cutting off food, medicine and electricity for the over 2 million people in the region. Hamas has taken over 150 Israeli hostages into Gaza, and more than a thousand have died on both sides of the conflict so far.
Other New York City schools, such as The New School and the Fashion Institute of Technology, also sent communications to students regarding the conflict on Thursday. FIT president Joyce Brown announced that the school will hold a “day of reflection, prayer and community” on Friday in a communitywide email obtained by WSN, saying that students and faculty could choose to attend class remotely or not attend at all without penalty.
“I am deeply saddened by the senseless violence and devastating loss of life resulting from the Israel-Hamas conflict that has unfolded this week,” Parsons School of Design interim executive dean Yvonne Watson wrote in a communitywide email. “The violation and destruction of human life and the denial of another’s humanity, is unprincipled. Unless everyone is free, no one is free.”
Columbia University restricted access to its campus to only Columbia ID holders in anticipation of on-campus protests on Thursday, after an Israeli student was allegedly assaulted in front of the university’s main library the evening prior. Columbia is easing restrictions today, but will still keep some campus entrances closed, according to a universitywide email from the Columbia Facilities and Operations Office obtained by WSN.
Since the beginning of the conflict, NYU has released multiple statements, including on student safety at its Tel Aviv study abroad site and reactions to the violence on campus. On Sunday, university president Linda Mills wrote that no students, faculty or staff at NYU Tel Aviv were harmed amid “the multi-pronged and deadly terrorist attack on Israel” in a universitywide email.
“The violence that is raging now will likely intensify the feelings of those on our campus who hold strong views on the conflict,” Mills wrote. “Even as we confront the horrifying events that are occurring now, we must maintain hope for a different future. As a university community, we remain committed to dialogue and peaceful discourse.”
The university also condemned a pro-Palestine message sent in a newsletter by the NYU law school Student Bar Association’s president on Wednesday. The law student placed blame for the violence on the Israeli government, and said they stood in solidarity with Palestinians in their statement.
Students at NYU have been protesting throughout the week, with student groups having attended both pro-Israel and pro-Palestine demonstrations in Washington Square Park and Times Square, respectively.
Ariana Wahab, Samson Tu and Yezen Saadah contributed reporting.
Contact Carmo Moniz at [email protected].
