A group of Jewish students at Cooper Union College in New York had to be locked into a school library on Wednesday as a pro-Hamas group of protesters pounded on the door, attempting to get their hands on them. Video footage captured by one of the students shows several Orthodox Jewish students confined within the library while a crowd gathered outside the door, chanting “Free Palestine.” NYPD police forces were eventually summoned to the scene, and a strategic decision was made to escort the students to safety through tunnels accessible from a rear exit of the library. “We have been in contact with the NYPD and Cooper Union leadership about the situation that unfolded on campus. The NYPD was present on scene and was coordinating with school security during the entire event, ensuring no one was injured,” NYC Mayor Eric Adams posted on X. “While the students at Cooper Union have a right to peacefully protest, hate has no place in our city,” he added. The school said in a statement to YWN following the incident: “The library was closed for approximately 20 minutes late this afternoon while student protestors moved through our building. Some students who were previously in the library remained there during this time. They were accompanied by library staff and choose to stay in the library until the protest was over. All students, including those who participated in the protest, dispersed by 5:30 p.m. Additionally, to clarify some erroneous reports, NYPD was onsite throughout the day.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)