Hundreds of anti-Israel protesters march across NYC, hitting every university tent city: ‘This is a siege’

Hundreds of protesters snaked through Manhattan Tuesday in a rowdy demonstration that hit every ritzy university that has erected encampments in the past two weeks — with rally leaders threatening that administrators “should be” scared of their students.

The “Flood the Encampments for Gaza” march started at New York University, where some clueless students admitted last week they had no idea what they were rallying over, before moving on to The New School, FIT, Columbia University and City College.

“We have made it clear to the institution what the only appropriate resolution is. And we will not de-escalate, we will not decamp and we will not rest until this university — which has blood on its hands — cuts every last tie with a Zionist institution, to the Zionist entity,” one protester shouted outside the John A. Paulson Center, the university’s fitness center and classroom space named after a Jewish alumnus.

She claimed that the administration was attempting to “strong arm” the protesters into “leaving the encampment before [their] demands are met.”

The threats of disciplinary action, she continued, are considered the “highest honor” for protesters.

The group also blasted Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a “war criminal” and called for canceling “Zionist universities.”

Many of the roughly 150 protesters wore keffiyehs, a Middle Eastern headdress, to cover their faces as they waved Palestinian flags and signs calling for the nation to be freed from Israeli rule.

Sometime during the protest, vandals splattered a blood-like substance on the home of NYU President Linda Mills, whose failure to tackle on-campus antisemitism in the weeks after Hamas launched its Oct. 7 attack caused several Israeli alumni to cut ties with the prestigious institution.

The gory mess was delivered by “external community members in solidarity with NYU students,” independent journalist Talia Jane reported, and was accompanied by a note: “Linda Mills: Your administration is complicit in genocide. Blood on your hands. Long live Gaza.”

The crowd swelled to roughly 400 protesters by the time it made its way to the Fashion Institute of Technology, with many waving giant Palestinian flags and running through the streets while chanting, “Shut it down!”

Some ralliers even jumped on top of a parked pick-up truck to dance along to the crowd’s shouts.

Campus police had intervened at the protests earlier this week, stopping a food delivery from reaching protests before ripping down encampment equipment like tents.

Richard Dickinson, 79, a French professor from Sarah Lawrence College walking through the scene called the student activists the “conscience of America.”

“I’m here to support them because I believe in what they’re doing,” he said as he sported a pro-Palestine pin.

“This is the most important thing I have seen in my life. I have never seen anything as ugly as what Israel is doing in Gaza. And if we don’t stop it, then it’s our sin,” Dickinson continued.

Rather than march the 4.5 miles to Columbia University, the protesters opted to move their parade underground — swarming Penn Station and disrupting hundreds of straphangers on the rush hour commute.

The protesters squished in with regular New Yorkers aboard the uptown A train, chanting: “Uptown A train you will see. Palestine is almost free!”

They terrorized the train for four stops before riling off at the 125th Street station and bolting toward the Ivy League, which kicked off the nationwide encampment trend when it first erected its mini-city April 17.

The crowd rallied outside Hamilton Hall in support of the dozens of protesters who bolted themselves inside the day before — with some protesters carrying Palestinian flags and waltzing on the roof of the academic building.

“Yesterday we continued the revolutionary legacy of the anti-imperialist students that came before us. Students who refused to pay for death, destruction and genocide,” a student told the crowd, alleging that the university is denying protesters food, water and bathroom access.

“We are reclaiming our right to this campus. We are liberating territory.”

The crowd — which officials said is comprised of agitators not affiliated with the school — took over the building in the middle of the night Tuesday, hours after administrators ordered students to vacate their tents.

The aggressive protesters smashed windows and dangled signs around the building, which they’ve dubbed “Hind’s Hall” in honor of Hind Rajab, a 6-year-old Palestinian girl who was killed during the Middle Eastern conflict.

“Our necessary escalation last night was in response to the repression and violence from our administration. We were victorious,” the protester continued.

Columbia University failed to rein in the disruptive protests Monday, even after instituting a deadline for the crowds to vacate their mini-tent city on the campus lawn.

The Ivy League has since announced it would hand out suspensions to any students still defying the orders — which would prevent some from graduating next month — which the crowd considered as a “siege.”

“They have locked us in on this campus, they have locked the campus down, they have threatened us with suspension, they prevent us from using the bathroom, they prevent us from getting food, they prevent us from receiving water,” a demonstrator shouted to the crowd.

“This is a siege. They want to starve us to keep us from staying and holding our ground.”

“The administration is scared of the students and frankly, they should be.”

The parade moved on to its final destination at City College just as hundreds of NYPD officers in riot gear and carrying zip-tie handcuffs began to mobilize in front of Hamilton Hall Tuesday evening — eventually storming into the building and arresting dozens.

The rally at the CUNY school turned out to be the most violent of all the university stops. Chaos erupted when the anti-Israel protesters tried to bust through a barricade blocking them from reaching the “intifada” encampment that popped up Friday

Protesters and cops exchanged hard shoves, while other ralliers hurled garbage at the officers, dramatic video of the fight shows.

One man was even seen bashing a cop with a 5-gallon water jug with a sticker that read “Israel is committing genocide in Gaza.”

Organizers had warned hours ahead of the clashes that attempts to shut down the demonstration would be “met with anger.”

City College administrators had seemingly anticipated the escalation — just hours before the march was slated to arrive, the school shut down campus buildings to everyone except “essential personnel.”

“For obvious reasons I cannot tell you how long these restrictions will be in effect. We will reassess regularly,” the internal letter from City Colleges of New York Provost Tony Liss, obtained by The Post, stated.

The public school — which was on spring break until Tuesday — also announced all classes and college functions would be held remotely until further notice starting May 1.