WASHINGTON 

Approximately 300 people were arrested after police responded to pro-Palestine protests at Columbia University and the City College of New York late Tuesday, New York City Mayor Eric Adams said.

According to the New York Police Department (NYPD), there were 282 arrests, 173 at City College and 119 at Columbia University.

At a press briefing, Adams said "outside agitators were on their grounds, training and really co-opting this movement."

Adams said students have a right to protest and free speech is the cornerstone of society.

"But as a major concern, we knew and we saw that there were those who were never concerned about free speech. They were concerned about chaos. It was about external actors hijacking peaceful protests and influence students to escalate," he added.

"There were individuals on the campus (who) should not have been there. There were people who are professionals and we saw evidence of training," he said.

"There are people that we have been watching in organizations that are not part of the campus. There are individuals in organizations that are not students."

Also at the briefing, New York Police Commissioner Edward Caban said since last Oct. 7 – when the current conflict between Palestinian group Hamas and Israel began – police have responded to more than 2,400 protests across the city.

"About 1,100 those were related to the situation in Israel and Palestine, and we’ve worked to keep protesters safe and protect their first amendment rights," he added.

The NYPD plans to deploy officers to ensure public safety across the campus up until graduation ceremonies, according to officials.

Police officers late Tuesday entered Columbia's Hamilton Hall, which was held by pro-Palestinian protesters, and the building was cleared of demonstrators about two hours later.

The protests began in April and have served as a flashpoint for the wider movement to protest Israel’s war on Gaza.

Israel has waged a relentless offensive on the Palestinian enclave since last October's cross-border attack by Hamas, which killed some 1,200 people.

More than 34,500 Palestinians have since been killed and over 76,000 others injured. Israel has imposed a crippling blockade on the Gaza Strip, leaving its population, particularly residents of northern Gaza, on the verge of starvation.

Israel also stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to ensure its forces do not commit acts of genocide and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.