Results tagged “occupation”

NYU students: When they're not doing porn to pay tuition or collecting food stamps, they're occupying administration buildings and issuing manifestos. But it's almost the end of October and there hasn't been a single sit-in from the Take Back NYU rebels, who made the big time in February with a 40-hour occupation and a hilarious hit video. So where are they now?

Well, it's still unclear whether police used tear gas in breaking up this morning's student occupation of a New School on Fifth Avenue and 13th Street, but this striking video shows that plenty of pepper spray was liberally applied. Earlier today, NYPD spokesman Paul Browne told City Room it was “untrue that pepper spray or mace was used in effectuating the arrests." Could it be he was fibbing? See for yourself, but only if you want your faith in NYPD flacks utterly shattered.

       

[UPDATE BELOW] Well, that was short and sweet, and everybody gets out of here in time for lunch! Except for the protesters, who were promptly arrested in an efficient, well-organized raid. Because the students had been threatening to "shut down" the New School since April 1st, the fuzz had plenty of time to prepare, and Bob Kerrey wasn't about to let this thing turn into a prolonged media circus like the last one.

Student activists have occupied a New School building on 5th Avenue and 13th Street and are standing on the roof shouting their demands through a bullhorn and waving the anarchist flag. Good times. The takeover took place around 5 a.m. and is believed to involve some 60 students affiliated with the Radical Student Union, which participated in last year's New School occupation—not to be confused with the more recent NYU sit-in.

We may have mentioned that the occupation of NYU's student center ended with a whimper, but after watching this 9:22 minute video of NYU security daring to enter the barricaded cafeteria occupied by student protesters last week, we're worried our faces are now permanently frozen in deep cringe. According to NYU Local, the footage was recorded not by an NYU student but by a strident young man from Muhlenberg College in Allentown, PA., who seems truly appalled that officials have violated their inner sanctum, "making everyone very upset," while also deliberately ignoring his orders: "You may not detain us, you are on camera!"

After less than 48 hours, the "Take Back NYU" student occupation of a cafeteria at the university's Kimmel Center has ended. Most of the dozen or so remaining protesters vacated the premises earlier this afternoon after NYU administrators threatened them with suspension. A university spokesman said in a statement that "any non-NYU students will be turned over to the police for arrest as trespassers; we will notify their schools of the participation in improper activity."

As you've probably heard, for several days a group of students at The New School University occupied a dining hall in the Graduate Faculty building at 65 Fifth Avenue, which is scheduled for demolition. Among their demands were the resignations of university President Bob Kerrey and other officials, and voting representation on the search committee for the interim-Provost and the Provost.

          

It's been over 24 hours since New School students occupied the Graduate Faculty building in protest of school president Bob Kerrey's and other administration figures' action, and it hasn't been without incident. The students, who promised to "inaugurate a wave of occupations in New York City and the United States, a coming wave of occupations, blockades, and strikes in this time of crisis," scuffled with the police when they tried to take over more parts of the building (they were initially just in the dining hall).

It's been an eventful day for New School students occupying a dining hall at the university's Graduate Faculty building at 65 Fifth Avenue. The group, estimated to be between 75-150, has been hurriedly posting blog "communiques" about the situation as it develops. This morning they reported that "a couple of our comrades have been roughed up and a couple arrested." Then, around noon, New School President Bob Kerrey arrived and tried to dialogue with the students, but according to one communique, "we responded by refusing to negotiate with him and repeating our demand that he immediately resign. He left and took his police with him." Now Kerrey's blog is down due to "technical difficulties." Comrades have occupied the Internet! Now the New School Free Press tells us that students are debating about continuing the occupation through Christmas break, which is a month long. One potential snag is that the building will be undergoing asbestos removal next week in preparation for its eventual demolition.

     

A group of New School students, perhaps numbering 75 or more, are continuing their occupation of a dining hall at the university's Graduate Faculty building at 65 Fifth Avenue. Taking over the room last night, the group announced, "We liberate this space for ourselves, and all those who want to join us, for our general autonomous use. We take the university in explicit solidarity with those occupying the universities and streets in Greece, Italy, France and Spain."