(no subject)
For the couple weeks, I've been seeing paint on the side walk- a hand grabbing the NYU torch with "Take Back NYU" written next to it. These little things have been all over campus but I didn't think anything of it and no one said anything.
Then yesterday during my auditions, the twins who were helping me said something about people barricading themselves in Kimmel (our student center/cafeteria that serves quesadillas-mmmm). Later while I was hanging out with Dana, Nick called and said something about a crazy protest going on- people had indeed barricaded themselves in Kimmel and there were rumors of a police raid happening at 1am. Thanks to the help of a blogger on the inside, Dana and I figured out what was going on.
Take Back NYU is this group that came up with a list of demands for the university and decided to barricade themselves in the student center (or rather, the eating section of the cafeteria) until NYU agreed to their terms.
These demands included a transparency of the budget (which I do completely agree with), a student run committee that can override any financial decision the university makes (wait, what?), help to rebuild the University of Gaza (why?), scholarships for 13 Palestinians (what about me?!), and making our library open to the public (so homeless people can live in the stacks?). Oh and amnesty for everyone involved in "Occupation of Kimmel 2009".
It started sometime on Thursday. The group came "prepared", or so they said. They brought paper for signs, markers/paint, coffee makers, sleeping bags/blankets/pillows, even kitty litter in case they weren't allowed to leave to go to the bathroom (which actually did happen but was always eventually allowed). What they didn't bring was enough food. Geniuses.
Not only that but most were vegan so they couldn't eat the food the smart ones did bring (which quickly ran out). So NYU offered them free food. Free vegan food. They refused because the company that provides the food uses prison labor (not even going to get into my thoughts on prison work programs). For a while no one was allowed up to give them food so they tied rope to a bucket and threw it over the edge in hopes of donations (not sure that actually worked out so well). Eventually they got hungry and accepted NYU's food.
A couple girls (literally, just 2 of them) took off their shirts in front of Kimmel in support ("Tits for TBNYU")
Security was involved, including the NYPD. For a while people were allowed to leave (they had work/class/better things to do) but no one was allowed in. The numbers dwindled a bit. Until people organized and decided to rush in (the video is pretty hysterical). In the process, they actually hurt a couple guards (way to have a non-violent protest).
And then there's the smokers. See, they will pile chairs/tables in a room, pretty much trash it, pee in buckets in the corner- but they won't smoke inside. So they broke the locks on the balcony to get outside.
I got there around midnight, to see what sort of shit show it was (Dana and I were keeping track on the blog but she went to bed and I decided to check it out). NYPD was gathering on one side of the building. In front, on the sidewalks, a bunch of people were lined up behind police barriers with signs of support. Some marching band type thing was playing drums/music and people were chanting in support. There was a lot of dancing and yelling "Tell me what democracy looks like/This is what democracy looks like", among others (so unoriginal).
There was also the protest of the protest. They had signs that said things like "Take Back Kimmel" and "I demand quesadillas". They tried to drown out the call back "This is what democracy looks like", which I thought was funny.
Most people there were like me, just looking to see what was going on or looking for a place to make trouble. At one point, NYPD closed the street and people crowded together and chanted and danced. The barricaders danced and chanted and demanded things on the balcony. NYU security guarded the doors so no one could get in. A few NYPD were with them but mostly gathered on the sides.
Then some geniuses decided to push the police barriers. Have you ever seen police officers swarm into action? Oh my god, it's crazy. It was so fast I almost didn't see them. They pushed back and pulled out their baton prod things and the mace. I grabbed Nick and moved out of the way. People had cameras and were shouting "police brutality!" It was over in about 45 seconds. I don't think anyone was hurt- hardly any mace was sprayed but you could smell it a little.
Then NYPD lined up along their barriers. And continued to gather on the sides. There were probably around 1 for every 5 people there. At one point even the mounted police showed up, preparing for what could happen.
At 1am the building technically closed and NYU had said anyone in there would be expelled and arrested for trespassing. A little before 1am, they offered to let any of the non-NYU students go without being arrested (there were at least 10 of them... also apparently bored?) and most of them did.
A little after 1am (when nothing happened, no police raid which is what I was there to see and was disappointed) the school offered everyone amnesty (provided they never do anything like it again) and a future meeting to discuss the issues in return for them leaving. They refused.
Around 2am they told everyone they were holding for the night and that we should all go home and sleep and come back and support them the next day.
I was there with Nick, Norberto, and Frank and we left, bored and cold. And by cold I mean freezing- it was about 12F out, maybe less. I was so cold, I didn't realized I was shivering. I could not feel my toes at all. I finally got home and climbed into bed (afraid to pull off my socks in case my toes came off with them) and was not sufficiently warm until I woke up this morning. That is how cold it was (and I'm still feeling a little ick thanks to all of that).
Supposedly there was a "raid" around noon today. The NYU kids were suspended and kicked out of housing but not arrested, I'm not sure about the non-NYU-ers. There was still a bunch of people outside around 1:45 this afternoon when I checked it out. The police had blocked off the street around the building and the closest buildings and only people with an NYU ID could get by.
The entire thing was a circus and most people just think they were stupid and it was pointless. Or at least a very bad way of doing things. No one had access to the student center for like 3 days which means no access to the student lounges or computer centers or cafeteria or any of the work spaces. And all the employees couldn't go to work.
And if you watch this video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQsjmgwKQ1I) you can see the TBNYU people start to freak out as soon as the police activity got a little crazy (I'm in the crowd in the first part but not easy to see- somewhere in the top center of the screen, back right of the main crowd in the street, my hood is pink). I have some cellphone videos and pictures which show the ridiculousness also.