The New York City Police Department knew "the world was watching us" when officers stormed a Columbia University building occupied by anti-Israel protesters, NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell told Newsmax on Thursday.
The university "didn't have an 'after-action' plan following arrests on campus April 18," Chell told "Wake Up America," adding, despite negotiations between the school, students, "and outside agitators," police "had to go in there two nights ago."
"We had to clear the campus grounds, we had to take back Hamilton Hall," he said. "The plan was precise. We went really heavy, and we had no incidents, and we knew the world was watching us. The city was watching. And we set that tone, and we took back that campus."
He said a "key" factor in the police success was to get university President Minouche Shafik to warn "if those kids came out of the dorm, they were going to be expelled."
Hate speech on campuses should be forbidden, he said.
"Hate speech — you should be thrown off the campus — expelled — and teachers, professors who took part in hate speech should be fired," Chell said. "You want to end this quickly? Start expelling people quickly."
Chell praised New York City Mayor Eric Adams for standing firm behind police, saying "he has our back 110%, and this is why we're doing so well, because he supports us, and we're not to worry about him. He takes care of us."
But in Los Angeles, where violent protests at UCLA continue to rage, the issue should have been "dealt with a long time ago," Chell said.
"This is organized where it's coming from," he asked. "There's money involved in helmets … bats."
"These are primarily, if I'm going to guess right now – not all students – these are outside agitators like we had at Columbia," he said, adding: "This is happening throughout our country.
"What is funding this? What is underneath it? Because some of these kids have no idea what they're doing. Who is hijacking this, radicalizing them to do this? That's a larger conversation."
About NEWSMAX TV:
NEWSMAX is the fastest-growing cable news channel in America!
- Find Newsmax channel in your home via cable and satellite systems – More Info Here
- Watch Newsmax+ on your home TV app or smartphone and watch it anywhere! Try it for FREE – See More Here: NewsmaxPlus.com
Fran Beyer ✉
Fran Beyer is a writer with Newsmax and covers national politics.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.