NEW YORK CITY — Wednesday, May 1, 2025

Police evacuated Barnard College’s Milstein Center on Wednesday following a bomb threat that interrupted a pro-Palestinian sit-in protest, prompting the arrest of multiple demonstrators and sparking renewed tensions on the upper Manhattan campus.

The New York Police Department reported via X (formerly Twitter) that a bomb threat was made at the Milstein Center — Barnard’s central academic hub — during the protest. Officers warned that anyone refusing to leave the premises during the evacuation would face arrest.

The threat, received in the afternoon, was investigated and declared “cleared” by police at approximately 8:00 p.m. NYPD officials later confirmed that nine individuals had been taken into custody. Charges have not yet been specified.

Social media footage captured earlier in the day showed protesters inside Milstein chanting, playing drums, and draping Palestinian flags on the walls. Many demonstrators wore kaffiyeh scarves and face coverings. Additional videos from the evening showed officers in riot gear entering the building with helmets and zip ties, followed by scenes of protesters and others being detained on the lawn outside.

Barnard College President Laura Ann Rosenbury confirmed that the college will resume its regular academic schedule on Thursday, but condemned the protestors for remaining in the building after evacuation orders were given.

“Today has been unsettling and disturbing, and these continued disruptions take a toll on our community,” Rosenbury said in a public statement. “The desire of a few to disrupt and threaten cannot outweigh the needs of the students, faculty, and staff who call our campus home.”

She stated that protesters endangered others by refusing to evacuate even after the fire alarm was activated. The college ultimately requested police assistance.

The demonstration was organized by Columbia Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), who began their sit-in at around 1:00 p.m. Wednesday in response to what they called escalating repression by the college administration — including recent expulsions of student protesters.

In statements posted to X, SJP accused Barnard administrators of fabricating the bomb threat in order to force an end to the demonstration. They also alleged that police brought some of the detained protesters back into the building while the threat investigation was ongoing, contradicting official safety protocols.

Last week, Barnard officials reported that pro-Palestinian activists forced their way into Milbank Hall — which houses the dean’s offices — and physically assaulted a college employee. That incident further escalated tensions between student protest groups and the administration.

Organizers of the sit-in said they dispersed voluntarily after the administration agreed to a meeting over their demands, which include amnesty for all students disciplined for participating in pro-Palestinian actions.

The events at Barnard are part of a wave of campus unrest seen nationwide as student activists call for institutional responses to the ongoing conflict in Gaza, and for universities to sever financial and academic ties with entities they associate with the Israeli government.