New York City Mayor Eric Adams lashed out at protesters who replaced the American flag over the CUNY campus with a Palestinian flag.
"That's our flag folks. You don't take over our buildings and put another flag up. That may be fine to other people but not to me. My uncle died defending this country," Adams said at a Wednesday morning news conference.
"It's despicable that schools will allow another country's flag to fly in our country. So blame me for being proud to be an American."
Adams played a video showing NYPD officers returning the stars and stripes up a flagpole.
They also cleared protesters who had barricaded themselves in Columbia's Hamilton Hall on Tuesday.
#HAPPENINGNOW: An incredible scene and proud moment as we have assisted @CityCollegeNY in restoring order on campus, culminating in raising Old Glory once again on their campus flagpole. 🇺🇸@NYPDPC @NYPD1stDep @NYPDChiefOfDept @NYPDChiefPatrol @NYPDnews pic.twitter.com/XZWFmvXcUs
— NYPD Deputy Commissioner, Operations Kaz Daughtry (@NYPDDaughtry) May 1, 2024
New York City officials used the news conference to defend their actions.
Approximately 300 people were arrested at Columbia and SUNY as police cleared protesters at the two schools.
Adams stressed that Columbia requested the NYPD's help during a Wednesday morning news conference.
Adams said outside agitators were among the protesters to "create chaos."
"They are attempting to disrupt our city and we are not going to let it happen," Adams said.
He called the takeover of Hamilton Hall by protesters a "violent spectacle" that needed to end.
"There were those who were never concerned about free speech, it was about chaos."
Protests have spread across U.S. college campuses calling on the schools to divest from companies that support the war in Gaza.
Isarel has been fighting to eliminate Hamas after an Oct. 7 terror attack that killed more than 1,000 Israelis and ended with the kidnapping of hundreds of others.
