Anti-Israel protesters caused $3M worth of damage, security costs at City College campus: ‘Real shame’
Anti-Israel criminals caused at least $3 million in damage and the need for costly extra security at taxpayer-funded City College’s campus in Upper Manhattan during their violent protests there, officials say.
A protester who threw a flare that torched the roof of the City University of New York school’s administration building caused $350,000 worth of damage alone, said CUNY Chief Operating Officer Hector Batista during recent testimony before the City Council.
Batista said the flare damage was particularly unfortunate because the City Council and state previously provided capital funds to install a new roof.
“It’s costing over $3 million — money that should be going to our academic institution and lifting up our students,” Councilman Eric Dinowitz (D-Bronx), chairman of the council’s Higher Education Committee, said in response to Batista’s information.
“That’s a real shame — CUNY’s purpose is to uplift people, not tear down the institution,” he said, noting the money could have been used to aid students in science, technology and math programs, college prep programs or students needing child care.
Dozens of protesters were arrested, including many outside agitators who were not students, during the unrest over Israel’s retaliatory response against Palestinian Hamas terrorists in Gaza.
Vandals at the school caused another $250,000 in damage by breaking windows, chairs and other furniture in buildings, Batista said.
In addition, he reported upward of $600,000 in damage caused by demonstrators who spray-painted video surveillance cameras to avoid detection.
Dinowitz asked if it was accurate to say there was more than $1 million worth of damage.
Batista said the cost was far higher when accounting for additional security measures that were taken to manage the protests.
He said that for example, CUNY spent a substantial sum to erect more fencing around the City College campus to better secure it and prevent outsiders from entering.
“In total, I’d say we’re upwards of $3 million in spending,” Battista said.
CUNY also entered into a $4 million contract with Security Services Corp. to provide additional security guards at City College and other campuses. It was unclear as of Tuesday how much has been drawn down from that contract.
“We felt we needed additional support for our public safety officers,” CUNY Chancellor Felix Matos-Rodriguez explained.
Top CUNY brass, who were shown internal videos of the vandals and destruction at City College and briefed on the costs, said they were stunned by what they saw.
“People were making fires, breaking down doors. I couldn’t believe my eyes. It was unbelievable,” a CUNY official told The Post.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ executive budget proposes $1.29 billion to CUNY, mostly covering costs to the community colleges.
CUNY gets about an additional $6 billion in outlays from the state budget.
Chancellor Matos-Rodriguez said he only called in the NYPD during the protests when he felt it was necessary to protect the campus community and property.
“My responsibility is to protect everyone on campus,” the chancellor said.
He said the police have had a presence at City College after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel and the ongoing war in Gaza.
Batista said there were 175 “peaceful” protests at City College and only one of them got out of hand, emphasizing a proper balance was struck between free speech and campus safety.
City College is not alone.
Cops swooped in and made numerous arrests at Columbia University after vandals smashed their way in and seized an academic building.
