New York Police Department officers have arrested nearly 30 protesters who commandeered Columbia University’s Hamilton Hall Tuesday as a part of the ongoing pro-Palestinian protests on campus. The protesters stand accused of the egregious crime of using milk crates outside of their intended purpose.
In New York, illegal possession of milk cartons is punishable by a fine of up to $500, depending on the number of cartons in an individual’s possession, and up to 30 days in jail.
The unrest on campus began on April 17 when students set up an encampment at Columbia. That day, university president Nemat Shafik was called by Congress to answer questions regarding her policies addressing concerns of antisemitism on campus. The following day, NYPD officers arrested over 100 protesters at the request of Columbia University officials. From there, the protests intensified, and resulted in the cancellation of in-person classes and student suspensions.
Everything came to a head on Tuesday when several dozen protesters took over Hamilton Hall and barricaded themselves inside. NYPD officers again stormed the campus and made around 30 arrests. Officials decided to end the standoff after pictures surfaced of protesters utilizing the aforementioned milk crates illegally.
Protesters inside Hamilton Hall ordered food via DoorDash and had the food delivered to campus. The food was placed into milk crates and protesters pulled the crates into the building’s second floor windows. Photos of the operation show that the milk crates belong to Clover Farms Dairy, a dairy farm located in Reading, Pennsylvania, located about 130 miles from New York City. Pennsylvania also has fairly strict laws regarding unauthorized use of milk crates. If a crate is stamped with another company’s name, the person who is in possession of the crates can be fined up to $300 and jailed for 90 days.
Tuesday, NYPD Police Commissioner Edward A. Caban stated that his department would take an uncompromising stance on people who show such a complete disregard for the law. “The safety of the people of New York City is our utmost priority. We will not tolerate such an egregious disregard for the laws of this city. These protesters crossed a line when they decided to use Clover Farms’ crates in such a despicable manner. I commend our officers for their bravery and poise while conducting this operation. We have the finest police officers in the country and their skills were on full display for the world to see today,” stated Caban.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul echoed Commissioner Caban’s comments. “I cannot believe the brazen and wanton contempt these individuals demonstrated when they defaced and vandalized innocent milk crates in the course of this protest. Those milk crates were not a part of this issue. They had done nothing wrong. They simply found themselves in the middle of a difficult situation. I emphatically state to the people of the state of New York that my administration will do everything in its power to protect the rights and the sanctity of milk crates everywhere. We will not stand for this kind of injustice,” she said.
All the protesters were arrested and booked into jail. They are being held without bond. The milk crates, most of which were unharmed, were returned to Clover Farms where they were reunited with their fellow duly utilized crates.