On the 56th anniversary of the 1968 police sweep, officers once again surged onto Columbia’s campus to clear occupied Hamilton Hall. In 1968, the New York Police Department beat and arrested hundreds of students who occupied five buildings in protest of the Vietnam War and the planned construction of a gym in Morningside Park.

Dozens of protesters occupied Hamilton Hall at approximately 12:30 a.m. on April 30, demanding full University divestment from companies with ties to Israel. The protesters renamed Hamilton “Hind’s Hall” in honor of Hind Rajab, a six-year-old Palestinian girl who was killed by the Israeli military in Gaza on Jan. 29.

The “Gaza Solidarity Encampment” on South Lawn welcomed a notable presence of dogs and cats in its 14 days on campus. Spectator photographers captured numerous moments showcasing pets in and around the area.

The mood appeared calm throughout the second weekend of the “Gaza Solidarity Encampment.” Students sat in the sunlight, editing papers, reading in the library, and painting. However, notable figures made an appearance in the encampment, including Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.).

Tuesday’s near one-week mark of the “Gaza Solidarity Encampment” began with screen printing, art installations, and prolific speakers. However, it took a drastic turn when Shafik declared a midnight deadline until “alternative options for clearing the West Lawn” would be taken into consideration. Experience pivotal moments of the day through the lens of Spectator photographers.

As the “Gaza Solidarity Encampment” entered its sixth day on Monday, dozens of politicians descended onto Columbia’s campus, including Gov. Kathy Hochul and Democratic and Republican members of the House of Representatives.

Students could no longer enter through Lerner Hall to get onto campus on Sunday, so only three entrances remained: 117th Street and Broadway by Earl Hall, the 116th Street and Amsterdam entrance on College Walk, and the gate by Wien Hall on 116th and Amsterdam Avenue. Furthermore, external press access to campus remained limited, permitted only from 2 to 4 p.m.

After the New York Police Department arrested over 100 students on the east side of South Lawn on Thursday afternoon, students migrated to the west side of South Lawn within the day to continue the encampment in solidarity. During a Thursday evening press conference, Chief John Chell said that “the students that were arrested were peaceful, offered no resistance whatsoever, and were saying what they wanted to say in a peaceful manner.”

At around 1 p.m. on Thursday, at the direction of University President Minouche Shafik, New York Police Department officers entered Columbia’s campus and arrested more than 100 individuals as they cleared the “Gaza Solidarity Encampment,” approximately 34 hours after students set up tents on South Lawn early Wednesday morning.