NEW YORK — Hundreds of NYPD officers in riot gear stormed Columbia University Tuesday evening, forcing out pro-Palestinian student protesters who had had seized an administration building and making dozens of arrests.

The NYPD was also arresting protesters gathering in the streets surrounding the Manhattan campus following the removal of students from the building.

Social media posts from campus and photos from the scene showed NYPD cops entering Hamilton Hall, Columbia’s main administration building, through a window. Students had taken over the building early Tuesday morning amid a weekslong protest on campus over the war between Israel and Hamas.

“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,” a Columbia spokesperson said.

“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.”

Police led dozens of protesters from the campus and onto waiting NYPD buses. As one of the buses pulled away, protesters ran into the street and blocked the vehicle.

Students asked to shelter in place in their dorm rooms watched the arrests and chanted “free, free Palestine” as cops pushed protesters up onto the sidewalks, allowing the bus to leave the neighborhood.

The disciplinary decision to expel students involved in the building’s violent takeover, announced earlier by university officials, came after demonstrators damaged school property and prompted censure from the White House.

Police entered the campus through a southern gate the southern gate at W. 114th St. between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue just after 9 p.m. Eastern time as protesters chanted “shame.”

The occupation began early Tuesday morning at Hamilton Hall, hours after the school suspended students who ignored an order to break up their encampment on the campus lawn. It prompted the university to restrict access to the campus, only allowing students who live in dorms and essential services staff to remain.

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