Ray Kelly Gets Heckled In Columbia Classroom, Thinks It's Cute

Sam Aronov / Shutterstock.com

NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly paid a visit today to the SIPA class that David Dinkins currently teaches at Columbia University, and Bwog reports that Kelly was thoroughly heckled (by an NYU saboteur!). But don't worry, the Commish thinks those protesters are just adorable.

Kelly was taking questions from the class

When a student pulled out a projector and began to screen images of police officers beating civilians on the wall behind Kelly. “We’d like to offer an alternative version,” one slide read. People started shifting awkwardly in their chairs, then shifting much more awkwardly when the student turned the projector around so that the film was facing Kelly as he continued to speak.
This student stood up and called for Kelly’s resignation. “Are you serious, Kelly?” he asked. “Resign now.” Professor Dinkins sprung up from his chair and instructed the young man to “take it easy.” Several students asked if he was even registered for the course. “No, I go to NYU,” he said. A groan went up and students began asking him to leave.

“Well, this is very intimidating,” Kelly said, grinning.

HAHA it's gonna take a lot more than some Final Cut Pro magic from Occupy Wall Street to rattle 'ole Ray. This is the video in question, which shows a variety of questionable NYPD behavior over the last few months.

A few minutes later, another student asked Kelly why most people who are arrested are incarcerated for “drug crimes.” Dinkins said he didn’t understand the question, and things got confrontational between the student, Kelly, and Dinkins pretty quickly. The student’s SIPA colleagues were not pleased—a few students and a TA asked if she was registered for the class. “No,” she said, “but I do have a question.”
Commissioner Kelly, still grinning, leaned over to another guest for today’s class, New York District Attorney Cy Vance, and loudly whispered, “Says something about the security of this school, doesn’t it?”

Kelly got a round of applause as he left the class.

What, no DSK questions for Vance? One commenter on the story cheers Projector Man: "bravo to the nyu student who stood up and did what all of the frat bros in that class were too scared/numbed to do." Another notes that Kelly in fact instructed "the entire police force to NOT issue any arrests for marijuana possession. These protestors are protesting the wrong guy."

While it's rude to interrupt class (unless you're playing a sexxxy saxophone) it's certainly refreshing when a major public figure is confronted outside the confines of a TV studio and where "no comments" are meaningless. And did he really deserve a "round of applause?" We're looking forward to the video.

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By Christopher Robbins in News on November 29, 2011 6:48 PM

Comments [rss]

horsechoker

Damn, the kids who were groaning were some straight bitches.

"OMG no! Let him speak! We didn't come to hear you! Respect Ray Kelly!

Sulayman

What, no link to the video itself? Here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...

Hmm, the police abuse is disturbing. I would have wanted Kelly to have commented on it.

Guest

What abuse? Kelly and his PD can do no wrong......(sarcastic wink)

Guest

Looks to me like resisting arrest and obstruction. I don't like police that much, so I don't fuck with them, like these people did.

Christopher_Robbins

Thanks for the heads up, I'll tack it onto the post.

Lazio_Giggalo

Good Ole Ray Kelly, what can you say about this character from the Good Ole Boy's Club! What a mug shot and what happen to his teeth. Surely not from the Pepsident Boy's Club! Maybe more teeth whitener and less tear gas and pepper spray. Kelly since he's an advisor for Homeland Security who helped coordinate the Chinese Style brutal attack on OWS Protesters at Liberty Park should have better teeth! What no dentists at NYU! Anyways what kind of Bannana Republic is he running in New York City with no security to fend off Students right to embarrass a want a be Technocrate like his master Emporer Bloomberg!

F_14

Grandma, get off the computer.

whiteiris

Doesn't he know only terrorist dictators are welcomed with open arms at Columbia.

TimeDown

Well it seems he was welcomed with open arms but an NYU student tried to ruin his appearance. I guess you failed reading comprehension in school.

LtWorf

"“No, I go to NYU,” he said. A groan went up and students began asking him to leave."

The rest of New York's colleges & universities feel your pain Columbia.

marco_esquandolas

As an NYU alumnus, I cringed as I read that line. We Violets do love to get self-righteous.

Dan Smith

As an NYU alumnus I understand the sentiment far too well. The words "NYU saboteur" already set up the image for me.

Lazio_Giggalo

What a mug shot looks like you need a drink or maybe a face lift is in order! Almost looks better than Ray Kelly's teeth! Wow!!!!! Why make fun of Columbia when there's plenty of fun with your hero Good Ole Boy Ray Kelly! Maybe you can shine his shoes on some NYC street corner and he'll tip you a quarter to make your day!

"Tim Osman"

Why was Kelly laughing? Because he knows the NYPD intelligence unit was already in the process of planning covert operations against the students who did anything questionable in that class

sauerkrautcity

probably because he doesn't give a shit and knows since we're in a perpetual "war on terror" he can do whatever the hell he wants

"Tim Osman"

I would agree, Kelly was amused and had some time out to play with the kids

theevilerone

Or maybe because he has a JD, and LLM and an MPA, so he knows the law. I'm sorry. Dirty bad cop, blah, blah. Authoritarian rule. Ditto. Ditto. Ditto.