Comments on: Night Falls On the NYU Protesters: Will Negotiations Happen?

By: Dean: J-Sex Deserves Nobel Prize For Transforming “Moribund” NYU | NYU Local

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 13:32:16 +0000

[...] like President Obama, you too can live up to the hope and change you promised you when we democratically entrusted you with the leadership of our school. [...]

By: phil r

phil r — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 22:13:09 +0000

re: 954PM

what’s really funny is that they claim to give a shit about anyone’s wellbeing (mostly their own) but still smoke cigarettes anyway. you’re not so concerned about that money, now are you? great job everyone.

By: We Have Demands! First, Snacks. - City Room Blog - NYTimes.com

We Have Demands! First, Snacks. - City Room Blog - NYTimes.com — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 16:42:12 +0000

[...] A blogger behind the barricades at New York University’s student takeover was barred from the protesters’ planning meetings. Scooplet: one of the demonstrators is an elected student senator. [NYU Local] [...]

By: sebastian slayter

sebastian slayter — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 05:37:59 +0000

we’re pulling for you charlie. best of luck, man.

By: Anastasia Gomes

Anastasia Gomes — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 05:20:48 +0000

You’re a fool, Charlie. The last thing NYU wants to do is drag out these students forcefully. No matter what anyone wants to say about these protesters, the fact is, their demands are just. Most of NYU’s graduates are going into a job market that has NOTHING for them. Sorry. But it’s true. We want a society where higher education is a privilege and where students have to worry about 120 thousand dollars of debt hanging over their heads by the time they leave school? Sure there are cheaper institutions but as a university that claims to have prestige, the basis for admission should not be class or economic status, it should be merit and the quality of work. When universities become overly expensive greedy and corrupt corporations that have millions of dollars in endowments but still continue to jack up prices to the point that average students cannot go there unless they decide to become indentured slaves for the next 25 years of their lives, THERE’S A PROBLEM.

In regards to the Palestinian questions, these students are not alone. In fact most of the international community condemns Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip. Students have been demonstrating and taking over their campuses all over Europe in response to the situation in Gaza. How do you think South African Apartheid ended? Protests, divestment campaigns, and students played an integral role in this.

The demand for recognition of Palestinian suffering is not an abstract demand for ANYONE living in the U.S., as our government happens to fund the state of Israel. IT IS ONLY RIGHT that STUDENTS and CITIZENS of the U.S. alike should be demonstrating and resisting their government’s sponsoring of mass murder in the Middle East. These students are resisting in a way that reflects their participation in community and society, they are demanding their school behave responsibly and that means operating in a fiscally, ethically responsible way.

To the haters of TBNYU: Your complaining is so sad to me. You want to live in a bubble, isolated from the rest of the world, and then you wonder why the entire world breathed a breath of fresh air when people here elected Barack Obama into office recently. The world has been cringing for the past 8 years over the things the U.S. government is doing, and condemning the seeming apathy of American citizens in passively observing those actions. If you want to be passive and apathetic about the actions of your government, then do it but don’t hate on people who actually care enough about the world they live in to stake a position and risk their lives for it. They are fighting for your right to a decent education, and their demands are just.

TBNYU! will not get dragged out by police. Believe you me. The world may not be watching yet, but let them try to drag these students out and it will not bode well for the image of NYU one bit, both at home, and abroad.

By: Pete Perry

Pete Perry — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 05:16:00 +0000

From Sarah Magno:

The rally of 300 students outside moved the police barriers and took over the street!

TBNYU is getting some very useful support now.

By: Bobby Teenager

Bobby Teenager — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 05:12:56 +0000

“Mom? Dad? It’s me. Don’t freak out, but I got arrested and am facing expulsion for trespassing and destruction of property at the school that you’ve now pumped $150,000 of your would-be retirement savings into. But it was in solidarity with Europeans and with Gaza, so… we’re cool, right? Also… do you think you drive on up and get me out of here? Like, now, please? Mom? Mom? Mom?”

By: ACG

ACG — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 05:10:24 +0000

Charlie, great job: one suggestion. Liveblog in reverse, with your most recent updates above the jump.

By: Daniel H

Daniel H — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 05:09:38 +0000

Does anybody believe TBNYU has any positive exit strategy? It seems as though their misguided effort has planted themselves in a corner – they either give in and take a “safe haven” lesser punishment and lose their pride/ protest credibility, or they risk expulsion and legal consequences.

I see no good end to this.

By: Samantha P

Samantha P — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 05:08:36 +0000

First of all, thank you and good job with your reporting.

In regards to the French system my impression is that while it may be cheaper, at least at the Grad school level professors have many more students and consequently don’t have the time / don’t care enough to give them same amount of guidance that one expects to get at a program in the United states.

I’d also like to add to the “this is embarrassing” sentiment expressed by several other above. This whole mess has come across as chaotic, unorganized (if you want vegan food so bad why didn’t you bring a huge blue IKEA bag full of munchies with you?) not to mention juvenile. I mean really. You’re making us look bad.

Also, I totally recognize the ‘occupier’ from somewhere (Writing the Essay four years ago?) but can’t figure out from where and it’s driving me nuts…