The New York City Police Department conducted another clearing operation at the protest camps in the campuses of New York University (NYU) and The New School on the morning of May 3rd, arresting dozens of protesters and dismantling tents.
The NYPD carried out the clearance at around 6 a.m. in the Greenwich Village area of Manhattan, responding to requests from the universities. Lieutenant John Chell of the NYPD stated that a total of 56 people were arrested, with 43 from NYU and 13 from The New School. He also mentioned that many protesters chose to leave voluntarily, and the process of arresting those who refused to leave went smoothly with no injuries reported.
The police have been consistently clearing out and making arrests at campus protest activities. Following the arrest of nearly 300 people at Columbia University and City College on the night of April 30th, a clearance operation was carried out at Fordham University on the night of May 1st, resulting in the arrest of 15 individuals. According to various English-language media outlets in New York, the arrest wave which started with the detention of over 100 people at Columbia University on April 18th has sparked protests across the country. Protest activities at 43 universities have led to a total of 56 arrest incidents, with at least over 2,200 individuals being arrested as of May 3rd.