Police clash with Brooklyn College protesters after pro-Palestinian rally

A pro-Palestinian rally at Brooklyn College erupted in chaos Thursday, with demonstrators and police engaging in physical altercations, several people being held and one officer firing a Taser to subdue a man in the crowd.

The unruly scene followed the arrests of 80 people Wednesday after pro-Palestinian demonstrators occupied a part of Columbia University's main library, prompting university officials to call in police. The swift moves reflect the pressure that colleges in the US feel from Trump govt to quell pro-Palestinian campus unrest.

A spokesman for Brooklyn College said demonstrators had violated college policy by putting up the tents. When the tents were not taken down after repeated warnings, security officers and police removed them and "dispersed the crowd," said the spokesman. In an email to students, a college official said the campus was closed for the day, that anyone who left would not be able to return on Thursday, and classes that evening might need to be moved online or cancelled.