NBC’s Winter: NYPD Worried About Anarchists Who Are ‘Pro-Palestine Today, Pro-Israel Tomorrow’ at Columbia

WAGNER Joining me now ░░░░░░░░ the phone is NBC ░░░░░░░░ Tom Winter who has ░░░░░░░░ in touch with police ░░░░░░░░ we are watching this ░░░░░░░░ live on air Tom ░░░░░░░░ can you tell us ░░░░░░░░ how police are approaching ░░░░░░░░ situation and any directives ░░░░░░░░ requests they have gotten ░░░░░░░░ the Columbia University WINTER ░░░░░░░░ so NBC News was ░░░░░░░░ to report about half ░░░░░░░░ hour ago Columbia University ░░░░░░░░ a letter to the ░░░░░░░░ of New York authorizing ░░░░░░░░ York City Police Department ░░░░░░░░ the city to enter ░░░░░░░░ premises to make any ░░░░░░░░ of arrest that they ░░░░░░░░ appropriate or assist in ░░░░░░░░ way Columbia University is ░░░░░░░░ private property in the ░░░░░░░░ of New York so ░░░░░░░░ NYPD cannot go on ░░░░░░░░ for whatever reason just ░░░░░░░░ they feel like it ░░░░░░░░ either needs to be ░░░░░░░░ crime in progress or ░░░░░░░░ complaint or they need ░░░░░░░░ be asked on I ░░░░░░░░ to point out a ░░░░░░░░ of things you ve ░░░░░░░░ looking at If you ░░░░░░░░ looking at a red ░░░░░░░░ light on some of ░░░░░░░░ officers that is a ░░░░░░░░ worn camera You ve ░░░░░░░░ have a number of ░░░░░░░░ types of police officers ░░░░░░░░ are going in especially ░░░░░░░░ that NYPD has Primarily ░░░░░░░░ initial officers that entered ░░░░░░░░ part of the NYPD ░░░░░░░░ Emergency Services Unit There ░░░░░░░░ a saying that when ░░░░░░░░ rest of us need ░░░░░░░░ we call police When ░░░░░░░░ police need help they ░░░░░░░░ Emergency Services Unit So ░░░░░░░░ officers that initially went ░░░░░░░░ are part of ESU ░░░░░░░░ officers that are going ░░░░░░░░ now you have seen ░░░░░░░░ with cameras they are ░░░░░░░░ to document the arrests ░░░░░░░░ document evidence of what ░░░░░░░░ ve seen inside and ░░░░░░░░ obviously have flexy cuffs ░░░░░░░░ have the bulletproof vests ░░░░░░░░ the ballistic helmets as ░░░░░░░░ So their job is ░░░░░░░░ go in there The ░░░░░░░░ there will likely face ░░░░░░░░ a minimum trespassing charges ░░░░░░░░ charges potentially vandalism charges ░░░░░░░░ it s what s ░░░░░░░░ inside that hall Alex ░░░░░░░░ has law enforcement so ░░░░░░░░ Primarily they are concerned ░░░░░░░░ there is a group ░░░░░░░░ anarchist type individuals who ░░░░░░░░ no particular ideology It ░░░░░░░░ pro Palestine today pro ░░░░░░░░ tomorrow pro another cause ░░░░░░░░ week But their main ░░░░░░░░ police say is to ░░░░░░░░ to find a way ░░░░░░░░ engage and engage in ░░░░░░░░ violent way to fight ░░░░░░░░ And that is what ░░░░░░░░ police so concerned because ░░░░░░░░ are worried about the ░░░░░░░░ that these vigils have ░░░░░░░░ opted it s their ░░░░░░░░ and they re worried ░░░░░░░░ they could get hurt ░░░░░░░░ they are certainly worried ░░░░░░░░ the lives of their ░░░░░░░░ So that s really ░░░░░░░░ concern That was the ░░░░░░░░ why you had the ░░░░░░░░ conference earlier today And ░░░░░░░░ is why you have ░░░░░░░░ such an escalation over ░░░░░░░░ last 8 12 hours ░░░░░░░░ police is concerned about ░░░░░░░░ s going on at ░░░░░░░░ University So that s ░░░░░░░░ you are seeing the ░░░░░░░░ tonight WAGNER Tom do ░░░░░░░░ have any evidence that ░░░░░░░░ are anarchists involved or ░░░░░░░░ that just kind of ░░░░░░░░ general concern I m ░░░░░░░░ I m looking at ░░░░░░░░ police entering the hall ░░░░░░░░ the window of Hamilton ░░░░░░░░ from the ladder track ░░░░░░░░ is a number of ░░░░░░░░ I am just wondering ░░░░░░░░ they have given any ░░░░░░░░ of intelligence on how ░░░░░░░░ why they believe there ░░░░░░░░ be outside groups involved ░░░░░░░░ this WINTER Sure I ░░░░░░░░ to the head of ░░░░░░░░ NYPD s intelligence and ░░░░░░░░ terrorism program Deputy Commission ░░░░░░░░ Weiner earlier tonight She ░░░░░░░░ was part of the ░░░░░░░░ conference They say they ░░░░░░░░ uncovered evidence and they ░░░░░░░░ produced video and evidence ░░░░░░░░ they have recovered through ░░░░░░░░ cameras through social media ░░░░░░░░ online from inside that ░░░░░░░░ and they say they ░░░░░░░░ identified a number of ░░░░░░░░ that are well known ░░░░░░░░ the NYPD over a ░░░░░░░░ of years that they ░░░░░░░░ are definitely inside of ░░░░░░░░ They don t know ░░░░░░░░ totality of the individuals ░░░░░░░░ are inside of there ░░░░░░░░ they said they have ░░░░░░░░ evidence that these people ░░░░░░░░ there Time will tell ░░░░░░░░ will see who s ░░░░░░░░ We will see what ░░░░░░░░ out of here We ░░░░░░░░ see what inaudible see ░░░░░░░░ ll always report You ░░░░░░░░ our job and NYPD ░░░░░░░░ this is to never ░░░░░░░░ anybody s word at ░░░░░░░░ value And you have ░░░░░░░░ the type of investigators ░░░░░░░░ that do have a ░░░░░░░░ good handle on these ░░░░░░░░ And so they absolutely ░░░░░░░░ this is not a ░░░░░░░░ They say they have ░░░░░░░░ evidence that s the ░░░░░░░░ and that s why ░░░░░░░░ are so concerned about ░░░░░░░░ hall and that s ░░░░░░░░ they were so concerned ░░░░░░░░ the developments there today ░░░░░░░░ All right Well they ░░░░░░░░ certainly responding based on ░░░░░░░░ intelligence right now NBC ░░░░░░░░ investigative reporter Tom Winter ░░░░░░░░ thanks so much for ░░░░░░░░ breaking news and information.”