Columbia University protest photos: Police break up protest at Hamilton Hall

A large number of police officers descended on Hamilton Hall at Columbia University Tuesday night, where dozens of demonstrators had occupied the building as part of ongoing protests.

Tensions have flared at Columbia's Manhattan campus for the past two weeks, since students set up an pro-Palestinian encampment and began calls for the university to divest its support for Israel.

The situation intensified this week when protesters ignored a Monday deadline to disband and took control of Hamilton Hall early Tuesday. In a statement Tuesday night, Columbia University said:

"A little after 9 p.m. this evening, the NYPD arrived on campus at the University’s request. This decision was made to restore safety and order to our community.

We regret that protesters have chosen to escalate the situation through their actions. After the University learned overnight that Hamilton Hall had been occupied, vandalized, and blockaded, we were left with no choice. Columbia public safety personnel were forced out of the building, and a member of our facilities team was threatened. We will not risk the safety of our community or the potential for further escalation."

Below are scenes from the police response: