NY mayor and police ‘in daily contact’ with Columbia

As protests rock the top college in his city, New York Mayor Eric Adams says he is in daily contact with Columbia University administrators and will meet with its president to determine “next steps”.

Speaking at his weekly media briefing, he said: “We’re going to respect their right to determine when they want police involvement and when they ask us, we’re going to carry out the necessary exercises to do it with the minimum amount of force and to not harm faculty, students or the law enforcement personnel.”

Mayor Adams added that, with students heading into final exam week, it was important to have a “duality” where “people can protest but the city can still function”.

NYPD officers are currently on standby, stationed around the perimeter of the campus. But Chief Jeffrey Maddrey said earlier today that officers “will not be going onto Columbia’s property without a specific request”.

“As of right now, we do not have that request” or a threat of “imminent danger”, he noted.

University leaders are keeping their powder dry for now.

When police last took action against the protesters – on 18 April – it failed to quell the demonstrations and appeared to embolden many protesters.