Ambient sound from the protests, taken from the video
On the sunny afternoon of Tuesday, April 23rd, in the Spring of 1968, more than 300 Columbia students marched to MorningsPark to protest the university's plan to build a new gymnasium in an open area much used by Harlem residents. Image of Protest at Morningside Park
"I don't think a gym 9 stories-high with facilities for the black people in the basement is something black people wanted." Quote from the video. Video footage of Morningside Park
The spark that initiated the longest and strongest demonstration in Columbia history had begun.
The students tore down the fence, clashed with New York police, and later returned to Low library. They were determined to present their demands to the president of the University, Grayson Kirk. They were met, however, with a line of students opposing the protests and a closed building. The university authorities had decided to faced down the protest. Images of Students Tearing down fences
Mark Rudd, the leader of the movement, headed for Hamilton Hall, the first building taken over by the students. Low Library, however, was not to be kept out of the conflict for long. The students would be back next morning. Images and Links to Mark Rudd

Students Take Over Low Library and Take Control of the President's Office.

While the sun was barely rising above the horizon on the chilly morning of Wednesday 24th, 200 students invaded Low Library. Lead by Mark Rudd, they were coming from Hamilton Hall, after black students asked them to leave. Faced with a closed building, the students knocked down the door to the southeast entrance, flowed into the rotunda and headed to the their target: the office of the University's President, Grayson Kirk, on the second floor. Images of Low Library
The students barricaded themselves in, and made the office their temporary home. They lit Presiden Images of Baricadesmade by Students
"The first thing we did in Kirk's office was hit his desk. We found a bunch of crap but also staff about IDS and a lot about cleaning the area and move out the blacks and the Puerto Ricans. "Excrept from the video. Video Footage of Students in Kirk's office
After the students wondered through the eight rooms in the President and vice-president suite, word was passed around that the police were coming. At 7:30 the threat turned into reality. Much to everybody's surprise, though, the police only tore down one of the barricades, closed some of the rooms and rescued a half-million dollar Rembrandt painting. The big police showdown was postponed for "Bloody Tuesday."
"Of the 200 students that went into Low Library, only 25 stayed after the police scare came. But as the day went by we realized that our strength was in our militancy and staying in those buildings." Image of Students on the windows
After the police left, the students went back to what it would become their routine during that Spring of 1968: an endless meeting, interrupted by singing, dancing, sharing food and hallways full of sleeping bags.
"Everything was experienced in the most collective sense that I have ever lived. We shared everything. We shared our cokes, our sandwiches. We didn't want to eat all by ourselves. People were living here. I have never been so comfortable here." Video Footage of Students dancing and sharing food.

Police Clashes with Columbia Faculty

On the morning of Thursday, April 26, the third day of the Columbia strike, the Morningside Campus woke up with six buildings controlled by the students, and with the announcement that the University would be officially closed until next Monday. Images of Police on Campus
About 25 plainclothes police were called by the administration to remove the students from Low Library. The officers, concealing billy clubs under their trenchcoats, clashed with faculty members who formed a line in front of the Southeast entrance to Low to keep them out. However, after the police forced their way into the building, they were ordered to leave.

Majority Coalition Challenges Low Strikers

Around 5 p.m. on Sunday April 29th, members of the so-called Majority Coalition turned their vocal opposition to the strike into action. Around 200 of its members marched silently up the steps of Low and lined shoulder-to-shoulder inside the shrubbery around the west side of the Library. Their goal was to isolate demonstrators on the second floor as a way to pressure the faculty and the administration to end the strike. No food, clothes or other supply were allowed in the building. Police Congregation Footage and Majority Coalition HTML

University Call in 1,000 Police to End Demonstration: 700 arrested, 100 injured

Audio of Police sirens mixed with students singing "We Shall Overcome." Video Footage of Police Coalition
At 2:15 in the morning of Tuesday, April 30th, the dreaded moment finally came: At the request of the Administration 1,000 the New York City police cleared the five buildings with a show of force that left hundreds of students injured. Police Brutality against Students
"We have been informed by the New York City Police Department our orders to take all the necessary actions in connection with the removal of the students... You are to remove yourselves from the building... You will be subject to proper disciplinary actions and there is no question of amnesty."
In Low, the Tactical Police Force members, wearing black leather jackets, violently removed the students from the building. A member of the faculty remembers the night that became knowns as "bloody Tuesday."
"I found students who were dazed, bleeding profusely on the forehead. The police refused to let me in. I said 'this persons is wounded, it needs help', and they said 'get out'. The police formed two lines you had to go through being hurt all the time. He was fortunate that he wasn't kicked in the groins like other demonstrators. But at the end of the line he was hit with a black jack. Next thing he remembers he was at the police station." Taken from the video.
Kenneth Clark, president of the Metropolitan Research Center wrote a letter in protest of the police brutality to the administration.
"We were surprised and shocked to see injured students and members of the faculty. For the first time we saw evidence that the police restrained shown in Hamilton Hall was not exercised elsewhere... We saw police dragging students down the building's steps... We saw police deliberately destroying property inside the buildings. There was not rationale for acting that way." Taken from the edited tape.