A demonstrator breaks a door panel at Hamilton Hall on the Columbia University campus in Manhattan on April 30, 2024.

Just over one year ago, protesters occupied Hamilton Hall at Columbia University. As they broke into the building, vandalized it and harassed staff members, the protesters covered their faces with masks to obscure their identities.

This spring, just as the state Legislature took action to combat masked harassment and intimidation, masked individuals at Columbia occupied a library, causing extensive damage, assaulting security officers and making it impossible for students to study for their final exams.

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These incidents are only two examples of a trend happening here in New York and across the country.

Following the widespread use of masks, and the understandable........

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