Columbia University placed restrictions on its campus in anticipation of dueling protests by student groups rallying in support of Israelis and Palestinians.
The campus was only open to people with a campus ID on Thursday as university officials sought to restrict outside supporters from "creating an unsafe environment for our community."
“This is why we have limited our access today to CUID holders only,” Dennis Mitchell, interim provost, wrote in a community letter.
A school spokesperson told NBC News that the university had also made “an accommodation for a limited number of media outlets.”
The two groups holding rallies on campus Thursday were Students for Justice in Palestine and Students Supporting Israel. Hundreds of young people had collectively gathered in by Thursday evening.
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The student protests come a day after a 24-year-old passing out flyers was allegedly attacked on the university campus. The NYPD said the person was whacked with a stick. The flyers, according to The Columbia Daily Spectator, had the names and pictures of Israelis that Hamas had supposedly taken hostage.
Police said a 19-year-old was taken into custody and charged with assault.
