Seth Meyers on campus unrest: ‘The story is what’s happening in Gaza’

Late-night hosts talked use of force against college protesters and Donald Trump’s apparent struggle to stay awake during his criminal hush-money trial.

Seth Meyers

Seth Meyers responded to police crackdowns on college pro-Palestinian protesters nationwide this week, representing an unprecedented and disproportional use of force. He particularly cited Columbia, where the NYPD responded to a small group of students in a building with a huge riot squad. In a press conference, Mayor Eric Adams bragged about the NYPD managing to have “the element of surprise”.

“Element of surprise? Did you see footage of the police approaching the school?” the Late Night host scoffed. “Usually when there are that many police together at one time, Bane is about to trick them into the Gotham City tunnels.

“As a New Yorker, I just want to say I really appreciate knowing that this is where my tax dollars are going: using drones to round up co-eds rather than, say, keeping libraries open or building affordable housing or making sure the F train isn’t a total piece of shit,” Meyers deadpanned.

“The NYPD responded with advanced technology and unprecedented force to a college protest. Columbia and city officials said they were left with no choice,” he continued. “And I mean let’s face it, it’s not like they had many alternatives. Unfortunately, there’s just no other way for a college to deal with a protest like this.”

Meyers then played a clip from Brown University, where school officials reached an agreement with protesters to hold a vote later this year on ending investments in Israel; as a response, the students would disband an encampment on school grounds. “But what about our drones? If there’s a peaceful settlement, what are we going to do with all our drones?!” Meyers mocked.

Jokes aside, Meyers concluded: “No matter how you feel about the protesters, we should spend less time ar