Breaking News: NYU Students Begin Sit-In
By Mike BurkeFebruary 18, 2009 | Posted in IndyBlog , Mike Burke | Email this article
Between 60 and 75 New York University students have occupied the third floor of the Kimmel Center for University Life, located at 60 Washington Square South. The sit-in began about 10 p.m. on Wednesday.
A statement on TakeBackNYU.com reads: “NYU is the latest university to join a wave of global student occupations in the name of student empowerment. The Kimmel Center for University life is officially a reclaimed space.”
Charlie Eisenhood of the website NYU Local is blogging from inside the occupied building and has posted a series of photos.
Video of the the NYU occupation is livestreaming at http://www.ustream.tv/channel/take-back-nyu.
The students have issued a long list of demands, including:
* Disclosure of NYU’s endowment holdings, investment strategy, projected endowment growth, and persons, corporations and firms involved in the investment of the university’s endowment funds.
* That the NYU Administration agrees to resume negotiations with GSOC/UAW Local 2110 – the union for NYU graduate assistants, teaching assistants, and research assistants.
* That NYU signs a contract guaranteeing fair labor practices for all NYU employees at home and abroad.
* The establishment of a student elected Socially Responsible Finance Committee.
* That annual scholarships be provided for thirteen Palestinian students, starting with the 2009/2010 academic year.
* That the university donate all excess supplies and materials in an effort to rebuild the University of Gaza.
* Tuition stabilization for all students, beginning with the class of 2012.
10 Responses to “Breaking News: NYU Students Begin Sit-In”
February 19th, 2009 at 2:50 am
Approximately 60 students are staying in the building overnight and are asking supporters to come back in the morning:
THURSDAY, FEB 19
- GATHER AT 10AM
Kimmel Center * Washington Square South and LaGuardia Place
- RALLY AT NOON!
For more information or updates, visit http://takebacknyu.com/
For info about the support rally, call Conor: 979-204-9253
February 19th, 2009 at 12:11 pm
To be honest and realistic, I doubt they’ll be able to get all their demands. Especially seen the amount of students engaging the occupation. Nevertheless my full support!
February 19th, 2009 at 1:31 pm
Let’s hope they are successful. Activism at NYU is heating up again after the unsuccessful Grad Student strike a couple years back.
http://www.indypendent.org/2005/12/08/a-lesson-in-class-momentum-shifts-to-nyu-students/
February 19th, 2009 at 2:27 pm
I’ve read their list of demands and think it very unlikely that anything will be met… the demands are all over the place, the ‘movement’ isn’t coherent at all. Especially confusing are the series of demands relating to Palestininan politics… what do those issues have to do with undergrad empowerment and graduate student unionizing in the context of NYU? At this point in the game, very little.
February 19th, 2009 at 4:03 pm
I’ve been hearing all of this talk about how the NYU student occupiers’ message is “incoherent” and “unfocused.” Much of this criticism has been directed at their demands relating to the divestment of companies that do business in the occupied territories in Palestine.
It’s not incoherent in the least bit. Since when is there a rule that says you have to separate Palestinian-related issues with NYU-related issues? In fact, NYU is related to Palestine, given that they do business with corporations that profit off of the occupation of Palestinian land.
You rock, NYU students!
February 20th, 2009 at 12:04 am
Real liberalism does not necessarily consist in the constant repetition of a series of long discredited if ever romantic actions designed to stir wild dancing. Indeed, I would say it takes some thought to actually take a liberal position and I am deeply suspicious of the liberalism of these protesters. Most of their demands seem drawn from Whole Foods marketing (Social Responsibility (TM)) the NYTimes (High price of education) or Urban Outfitters (Keffiyahs 4 Palestine).
This list of demands even begins by calling for greater accountability and then asking for a complete pardon for their actions. When I asked one protester about this she assured me that they wanted to change the cost/benefit analysis of such an action. For her, students should feel free to protest unmolested. This is a bit confused– Accountability should only exist for NYU, but full pardons are in order for the occupiers. Cost benefit analysis apply only to universities, but we student protesters should be free of any external consideration. All of these internal contradictions make me question the coherence, motives and intelligence of the protesters. Their repeated assurances that “this is what democracy looks like” were less a convincing, uplifting slogan than an expression, IMHO, of deep cognitive dissonance. Indeed the repetitious nature of this action, of the act of sitting in, of the slogans, and the way the demands repeated banal tropes all reminded me a bit more of something aesthetic other than democracy.
February 20th, 2009 at 8:29 am
since when is supporting Palestine, or politics in general, reducible to a fashion trend? the appropriation of cultural scarves is not a political move; comparing a student sit-in (that, in no way, aligns itself with urban outfitters) with the politics of a commercial object is close to offensive, not to mention ridiculous.’categorizing’ politics as ‘trendy’ is just one way to demerit its essential function, and on the other hand, if politics could perform within the context of a cultural phenomenon, by all means! how does popularity limit its credibility?
just sayin’.
anyway: why can’t a protest lead to more than one solution? by not having a focus, the students are simplifying the process and getting it all done at once. give ‘em support - when’s the last time you heard about a sit-in?
February 22nd, 2009 at 3:07 pm
Great. I have 33 grad credits from NYU :a combination of some using the last bit of GI Bill (my dad was deceased WWII vet) before I was 21, and credits received as a secretary working at NYU. I know someone who has a PhD from NYU and the monthly payments, total cost of the student loans, despite the person having been a teaching fellow, will most likely go beyond the individual’s lifetime.
Good luck to the students. They are right, of course. Wonderful links, wonderful story.
February 25th, 2009 at 10:07 am
Kristy,
While I do not have first hand account of what is taking place at NYU, and thus cannot say if chakira is correct in their assumptions, I can say with certainty that there IS a danger to protests becoming “popular” as you put it, because, in case you missed it, everything that becomes a part of popular culture in this nation has been watered down for marketing purposes, it doesn’t matter if there was any direct connection to a chain store (the metaphor still holds weight). This is dangerous. Mere numbers aren’t what is neccessary for the success of a movement, but passion and belief that what one is doing is right, otherwise it isn’t worth the risk of a more powerful force’s retribution to those protesting because its the ‘cool’ thing to do. If politics becomes a trend, then when the situation get’s thick only a handful of individuals will remain. They will be scapegoated, and the aims of the cause will not be met. Additionally I also doubt that that many of the demands will be made, but don’t confuse this for not wanting. The powers that be, didn’t become the powers, by letting one sit in lead to more than one solution. That’s a very popular culture influenced notion, optimism must hold hands with reality.
February 18th, 2009 at 11:59 pm
Be sure to check in at http://nyc.indymedia.org for the latest updates!