Protest Temporarily Locks Down CCNY

CITY COLLEGE, NY, April 24, 2025

A Pro-Palestinian protest at The City College of New York (CCNY) barred students from entering classes. Public Safety officers began closing the fencing around campus and restricting access to students and faculty with ID at 11:30. Students initially gathered at the Quad across from Shepard Hall. “We had a few students initiate the protest,” one student protestor explained. “Everyone just chanted with them. It got pretty loud pretty fast. Public safety was already around, I guess they were already suspicious of something happening. Maybe it’s because of other things going on on other campuses,” she said without giving her name.

Security on Convent Avenue, Photo by Jayden Pantoja.

Sarah S., a junior majoring in business administration and management, said protestors carried mini pro-Palestine flags and chanted, “Free Palestine.” “Personally I think it was brave of them to protest in support of Palestine,” Sarah said.

Campus Public Safety  has been quick to react to protestors. This is the latest in a string of protests at CCNY. Security seemed to want to prevent a repeat of last year’s encampment and protests that shut down the college. CCNY public safety officers and CUNY public safety officers kept close tabs on students at first.  From the Quad, protestors moved to the plaza in front of the North Academic Center (NAC) at 1:50. Some chanted, “Divest from Israel.”

Campus security prevented all students from entering the building. Only staff with ID could go in. Shepard Hall was locked down at 1:57 and students were prevented from going to class. One frustrated student said, “I just want to go to class.” Another student outside of Shepard Hall complained about not being able to take his midterm. Neither student wanted us to use their name.

Jayden Pantoja, a journalism student, described coming from 135 Street. “When I got to the gate before the NAC, I couldn’t get in. No students could get out.” Rohaan, a student, watched protestors in front of the Marshak building. He said, “Basically it seemed very peaceful… I think that’s their right.” Then he described how public safety moved in on the protestors. “They were herding them towards the exit and then they were getting aggressive with them and started pushing them violently. They even took their pepper spray out and started spraying students.”

Salvador Rodriguez, a CCNY student protestor, said, “They were pepper spraying them and they were hitting them.” At about 2:20 three NYPD squad cars sped on to campus and drove toward 135 Street.

The protestors didn’t stop after being ejected from campus. They circled around St. Nicholas Terrace and came toward the gate on 140 Street. Campus security prevented anyone from entering.  NYPD officers escorted protestors north away from campus.

President Vincent Boudreau spoke with Eman Mubarik, a computer science and journalism student, after the protest. He said that protests in front of the NAC were allowed, but this demonstration went beyond that. “…if they didn’t go inside of the building and they didn’t harass bystanders, that protest could’ve gone on.”

He described why security intervened. “There was a little bit of a scuffle off South Campus. Then they tried to get into various gates we had closed down… The reason we closed campus down is because we have very clear protest policies and our student activists are very respectful of our policies. This was a demonstration with a lot of people who came from off campus who didn’t know or care about our policies,” he said. President Boudreau took only a few questions because he explained that it was, “an open investigation.”

One student was detained after attempting to climb a fence at one of the entrances.

The undergraduate student government of CCNY (USGCCNY) posted on their Instagram at 3 p.m. and said, “We do not want the NYPD to be deployed against our fellow students. We are firmly against any violent gestures towards students that ultimately escalate the protests on hand. Our students solidarity with Palestine is a natural reflection of our commitment to freedom and justice for all oppressed peoples.”

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