[...] – New thread! Go here. [...]

FIRST

is it packed out from of kimmel. I’m thinking about going down to get kids hauled away at 1 AM but dont want to take on the cold if im not going to be able to see anything?

Also Charlie (tahnks for this whole blog again), I think you should mention that they think it’s “bullshit” that NYU said they can use their live video feed, blogs, pictures, etc. to “incriminate” them. That’s really special. Free Speech doesn’t mean you can’t get in trouble.
(C/ped from the other thread)

if the cops do go in the worst thing those students can do is fight back if there smart they will go with passive resistence but as they have showed several times they arnt. 1 am sure is going to be intresting

PS. thanks for you inside reporting. this is addicting. don’t know how you haven’t gone insane yet.

what’s the first thing you would do when you get out there? take a shower? eat something with meat in it?

btw, i’m listening to cody and jess argue (in a very civil manner) with WSN right now while refreshing the site.

this cannot be said enough, but great job! love reading this!

@Brett

They will undoubtedly claim that the crowd was all there to support them in solidarity.

What percentage of people in the street are supporters?

You are live blogging, post the most recent things on the top. it will be easier to follow the updates for the readers

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.

At 1 am it’s no longer free speech; it’s tresspassing. If there is evidence that there are people in the building past 1 am, than they can defenitley use it against them.

I would wager approximately 10%

Gee, who knew the 1st Amendment allowed for trespass and property damage? That’s some interesting constitutional interpretation.

@ Courtney

It was never a “free speech” issue at any point. The first amendment only applies to state actors.

I want to know if TBNYU tried any other mediums of politics before this protest and all out martyrdom operation

If they didnt I really cant see them justifying this entire scenario

also I am rooting for you behind the lines and all you’re doing good work

Watching the live feed from Brooklyn – Singing Twisted Sister is not helping their credibility…

Only 10% supporters? The rest are gawkers/counter-protesters?

edit: forgot last name. here’s my comment again…

i just skimmed through all your pages on this event.

i think it’s a bad decision on TBNYU’s part to keep you out of the meetings and negotiations, especially because what you’re writing is how the outside world is perceiving the “protest”.

that being said, the whole thing is kinda retarded to me.

@ Bob: I agree. But TBNYU is using free speech as their crutch and excuse, and theis whole ordeal has nothing to do with free speech.

The vast, vast majority of people down there are just there for the spectacle. Of those who are there because they care, probably half are vaguely pro-occupation and half are vaguely anti. There’s barely any of the really outspoken variety.

In regards to who is there for and who is there against, in the live feed you could hear a large group of counter protesters shouting “This is why hypocrisy looks like,” in response to the occupiers’ “This is what democracy looks like.”

Also, in the last live bit, it sounded like he said the camera they are using for the live feed is NYU’s… It also sounded like he was talking to a girl who admitted not being an NYU student, but I could just be hearing things.

I’m heading down there to support the NYPD and NYU as they remove the dumbasses, I mean protesters, stop giving ’09 a bad name.

Charlie,
I don’t know if you are reading comments, but a friend just confirmed that there are a ton of cops gathered outside.

My only interest in this is your blogging – you are hilarious in a subtle and self-deprecating kind of way. Keep it up!

Charlie i really hope they dont punish you as much as theyre going to the other people inside

@ Damon – it was widely suspected and I think confirmed that there were a number of people there who were not NYU

and yeah, def. most of the crowd are gawkers, I def heard the “hypocracy” bit

[...] am Update: Liveblogging here, live feed here. NYU’s deadline for the protesters to leave is 45 minutes away, and the [...]

this is all getting so nuts. i’ve been following since late afternoon. i hope no one gets hurt at the end of this. administrators, take into consideration some of TBNYU’s demands. and TBNYU, stop being ridiculous and hard-headed! nyu has gone completely bonkers!!

Great work Charlie!! I was wondering if there was a current live video feed? Anyone have ideas?

Can you please arrest these kids and get it over with. They have damaged school property, they have kept people from going to their place of work, they have denied other NYU students their full meal rights, they have INJURED security guards, and in 40 minutes they will be trespassing. Nobody but a group of privileged white students with nothing of value to protest about would be handled with such kid gloves.

p.s. LOL on them calling their parents.

Or, as the Angels would say, “We love you, Charlie”.

Sorry, I couldn’t resist : D

where is the live feed?

Emily A is right: just passed by on way from law school, and LOTS of cops in Skriball [sic] center (who knows how to spell these silly buildings).

Great job Charlie. I don’t care what happens to these kids, but I DO hope nothing untoward happens to you; you’re doing a public service, and a helluva job of it too.

Can I re-suggest, though, inverting the liveblog so new posts are above the line?

and charlie, well done. you are brave to stay in there.

Anyone else amused by the fact that a large portion of the most vocal members of this group have absolutely nothing to do with NYU? There’s the kid from Muhlenberg, the kids from Hunter, New School, Pace, etc. What the hell is wrong with them? The fact that you’re a college student somewhere doesn’t give you the right to trespass on someone else’s property somewhere else.

I can see NYU making some guarantees for the students, but I hope the nonstudents get what they deserve.

Live feed: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/522389

@Daniel: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/take-back-nyu but it keeps going in and out for me.

@ Daniel H – http://www.ustream.tv/channel/take-back-nyu

Godspeed, voice from the front lines.

Good luck and here’s hoping you don’t get hurt.

this can’t end well. seems to me like most of the kids are just there for the thrill of protesting something, meaning they’re not really going to try and work towards obtainable goals, MEANING… well, this isn’t going to end well for TBNYU

@Dene: I’m glad you thought it was civil. Things were getting tense at the end.

Charlie I am so impressed with this. I tried to get to you earlier to say hi because you are probably going crazy but the guards wouldn’t let me in. Keep up the good work, the site got approximately a bajillion uniques today.

@ Julianna – well said.

If they don’t wanna look bad with cops stormining in and wrestle with the students, ask for student volunteers. I’m sure there are going to be lots of students who’re wiling to answer that call.

btw, Charlie, if you end up needing legal help (which I hope you won’t, you at least have done nothing wrong), a good place to look might be the NYU clinic law center. I can’t speak for the clinical law professors, of course.

There’s no way that NYU will do anything to Charlie. He very clearly had nothing to do with this incident beyond reporting on it.

I wonder if the cops could bust in there, arrest people, and then shuttle them out a different exit. Just because there’s a mass of people in front doesn’t mean the cops actually have to go through there. Kimmel must have all kinds of fire exits.

@ Bob Jones, 0:25 – I agree. Just sayin’

@bob I am not an NYU student but I was thinking of going down there just to see whats going down
A friend of mine at NYU told me about it and at first I thought it was kind of silly and I still really want to know if they tried any other political mediums or are they just making a show of things
Either way it seems interesting to a certain extent, don’t really see these kinds of things

LOCAL TURMPS WSN!!

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.

hi nyu’ers,

when do we march on washington to tell barack we DON’T want war in the middle east anymore?

And we don’t want the military budget increased?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_budget_of_the_United_States
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_budget

I’d give my f’ng arm if the apathetic students of our university got behind THAT cause–against the wars, against our corrupt political/corporate/military complex that doesn’t give a flying f**k about us.

TODAY–Newsflash–http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601082&sid=aUWFaWvXjzFU&refer=canada
Obama says Afganistan War “Winnable”
Doesn’t that sound familiar?
http://www.expressindia.com/news/fullstory.php?newsid=91795

As an alumnus looking in, I feel for their feelings, but this is a rather amateurish spectacle. I don’t think NYU will do anything horrible to force them out, however, they are very sensitive to media coverage. Which is why they gave the “Bobst Boy” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobst_Boy) opportunities for free housing after he hit the news.

Ultimately, NYU is a private business with a juggernaut of a law department. The best way to protest is to “vote with your dollars” and give your tuition to another school.

Paying tuition doesn’t grant a right to see or say where your money goes, it just (hopefully) buys you a degree that looks impressive to future employers. And even our degrees are severely depreciating in value.

Wait, excuse me: Also, fellow NYU Local staffers aren’t being allowed into the building, although WSN staffers are. Let the heat of 1,000 suns pour down upon the scuzball who decided on that policy.

WHAT THE FUCK. WTF WTF WTF

That is such bullshit. We should occupy Bobst in protest!!

No, but seriously, that’s really shitty and we need to talk to someone about that after this is all over.

Good luck Charlie! Thanks so much for the coverage.

This is addicting your doing a good job. I have a chem test tomorrow and keep telling myself this is the last “refresh” then I’m going to bed.
The best for ya.

THANK YOU ANASTASIA!

Finally someone with some sense on this dumb blog!

Dear Anastasia:

Maybe these students should have thought about their debt load before they WILLINGLY DECIDED TO GO TO NYU. You know, like ADULTS?

FAIL

Keep up the good fight we got alternating shifts so I’ll be around in the a.m.
Change Will Come Only Through Direct Action:

1)- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=woXVWutJlg8

2)- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DRdkLb3LcU

IN SOLIDARITY

Could someone post the link to the “live feed” from the TBNYUers.

I have always supported the core of what TBNYU stands for: transparency in our tuition dollars, endowment, etc…(btw, anyone who disagrees with that, should reevaluate their understanding of society and the current political/governmental situation) However it is unclear to me why these students have decided to tack on all of these extra and rather unreasonable requests and demands. TBNYU has got to pull it together and negotiate with NYU on the core of the demands — possibly at a later date TBNYU can discuss further the tangential requests — but now is time to focus! I truly hope these guys will pull together enough for tonight not to turn unnecessarily sour and scary.

Get focused TBNYU!

@charlie, you are doing a wonderful job! I’ve been checking in all day. Keep up the good, and stay safe!

Also, If Obama were here right now, he would shake his head in disgust at these idiots.

Word from the admin is that there will be three groups after the arrests at 1am. First will be the least culpable; the folks who are just there. They will be charged with misdemeanor trespass. The next will be the group responsible for breaking their way onto the terrace. They will be charged with trespass and misdemeanor criminal mischief (destruction of property). The third group will be the students responsible for injuring the two guards .They will be charged with aggrivated assault.

As an alumni, Anastasia, NYU doesn’t care what your opinion of them is. Drag the idiots out. They’ve completely mishandled the situation and now seem foolish. Put an end to it.

they will be dragged out by the police. and these kids arnt fighting for my right to education there not fighting for anything at all. if they want to fight for people go to overseas for the military thats fighting for people.

and as to their job future, they chose that subject no one forced them into it they could have gone into something else, hell if there so keen on fighting for peoples rights to education how about they become teachers and go work in the public schools in NY

@Anastasia “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.”

So let’s barricade ourselves in a university cafeteria and demand things ranging from public library access to aid for Gaza? Zah? How does that follow.

Doing something doesn’t mean do *anything*. This has been mismanaged and poorly planned with the start–case in point, students at NYU (and NYU Local) who would be broadly or specifically sympathetic to TBNYU’s goals think TBYNYU is a joke.

http://www.worldcantwait.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&catid=23:campus-speaking-tour&id=3828:other-speakers

Anastasia Gomes is a 22 year-old native New Yorker, born to Greek and Indian immigrants. A prolific writer and avid reader all her life, Anastasia studied journalism in hopes of bettering the world by shedding light on its injustices. Through her school’s study abroad program Anastasia traveled to India to research the media’s effect on the developing world’s social identity. Her passion for human rights has found an outlet with the World Can’t Wait where she was given the chance to actually help change the problems that she had always been disturbed by, but in the past, had felt helpless in the face of. Today she utilizes her journalism skills with the World Can’t Wait’s National Press team, informing others who also feel isolated in their frustration over issues like the war. She currently teaches English to Latin American immigrants in the Bronx and also works as a professional freelance photographer. At the top of the long list of people she says have made the biggest impact on her are; Ghandi, Susan Sontag, Noam Chomsky and Rachel Corrie.

LOL!

@Bob: maybe some of the students got in on scholarships based on merit or got grants or work two jobs. Maybe they are doing this for YOU, to make YOUR tuition more affordable and the finances of YOUR school more transparent.

Maybe if I couch the argument in a way that inflates your ego and plays to your provincial selfishness you’ll actually pay attention.

bob jones, who? bob jones

@Anastasia

By incorporating the arguments about war in the middle east TBNYU has isolated a large portion of the NYU community that may have joined the cause in seeking financial transparency.

@ Anastasia – What does the job market have to do with any of this? Also, if you listen to the rabble-rousing that’s going on, it is far far removed from any just cause listed in their uneven list of “Demands”. Finally, if you look at how they prioritize their demands, clearly they are more concerned with saving themselves than any humanitarian issue.

Charlie… if you get arrested for not having a press pass I will barricade myself in Kimmel until they let you out.

Nice Work

Dear Anastasia,

If you can’t see that this is a HUGE publicity stunt with absolutely no purpose (because, obviously, these demands are silly and not practical) then I feel sorry for you. You TBNYUers seem to be the ones living in a bubble. This is a spectacle – NOTHING more. This will not resonate through the ages as a great protest and the world will not be talking about the brave NYU (well, seems that plenty of these kids AREN’T NYU affiliated) students were dragged out of a building they have damaged by the big bad police. You would think this was the Million Man March the way you supporters talk about it.

Actually there is a long history of student strikes and occupations doing plenty, why don’t you read about SF State’s Student Strike that won them the first Ethnic Studies department in the U.S.? Or why don’t you read about UC Berkeley’s free speech movement? Many things have come from students occupying, protesting, and demonstrating. Read your history.

Oh Anastasia, you silly you. I’ll just point out one of the faults in your argument. *in sarcastic voice* What Israel did was just soooo terrible….. mounting an invasion because of all the hostile rockets being fired at your country is such a horrid thing. Why try and stop it and protect your innocent citizens. *halts sarcasm* You know if it was the US the part of the map Gaza is on would be clean gone by now.

oh hey george, glad to see you’re still up and at it.

@K

Maybe they should have decided to go to Hunter or a SUNY if they were so concerned about their debt load.

FWIW, I graduated from NYU with 6 figures in debt. I decided to attend knowing full well what it cost, and am happy with my decision and career.

Dear Anastasia:

It might be worth disclosing that you work for World Cant Wait, a communist organization.

You can’t be taken in with the protestors! We will have to stage our own protest to support you haha.

thanks dude. great coverage. been hooked all night. hope you make it out okay.

i love watching everyone pace around… i think people are getting scared!

TBNYU is a fucking joke. They should have stuck to a few, clear demands, and they should be working with, not against, the press. If their only demands were lower tuition and transparency, I might have joined them. Don’t any of these kids know anything about political or media strategy?

i wanna see if po po bust in, 1 30 is my cutoff

thanks for all the coverage, great to have such an inside view of this situation

Charlie: The bologna sandwich they give you is pretty nasty. Lots of folks use it as a pillow on the metal bunk.

Dear Anastasia:

It might be worth recognizing that although your opinions are entirely valid (all opinions are) they may or may not reflect the majority of NYU students. I know that quite literally every single person I have spoken to about the goals of TBNYU has been entirely negative. So you can feel however you want to feel but just know that NYU does not give a crap about it. You can say we’re living in a bubble but it is simply just that different people have different values. If you’d like to make sweeping generalizations then go right ahead but you’re only making yourself look like a total douche. Have fun with that!

On a related note:

Chustle I love what you’re doing and if you weren’t blogging this episode then I would most certainly not have given two craps about it at all. It would simply be another annoyance where I had to show multiple guards my ID and look at ugly, naked girls. Keep up the good blog buddy!

true that. i’m nervous to see how it ends. can’t believe this shit’s happening.

If you were to get “thrown in the slammer” don’t worry, your following from today will protest!

P.S. NYU is a PRIVATE university but it still gets subsidized by the state. It receives MILLIONS of dollars from NY State actually.

Charlie, id def take you out for dinner tomorrow

Anastasia, thanks for completely missing the point many of us have been making regarding the Gaza occupation. The issue I personally take with this protest being down in solidarity with Gaza is that is has absolutely no business being on the negotiations table (which has yet to truly materialize) with the issue of financial disclosure. It has convoluted the message TBNYU has tried to put out. I personally don’t have a problem with wanting transparency with the budget. . . I have a problem with it being championed by petulant children playing the role of revolutionists. I also have a problem with the fact that some of the most prominent characters in this, on the students side, are not even NYU students and do not belong in what should be a dialogue between the university admins and the students who actually attend the school.

If you want to stick to your guns and insist on dragging every international cause, just as they may be, into a otherwise straight forward movement, I can’t stop you. But I know that I will continue to roll my eyes and sigh in disappointment as the most passionate liberals prove themselves yet again to be the most ignorant.

@ Anastasia @ 0:40

What’s your point? Do you think that somehow creates a legal obligation on NYU’s part to do anything?

Get out of there Charlie!

@ Bob Jones:

I don’t see how that information about Anastasia’s work is so worth disclosing.

Jeez connie and george ya’ll addicted. JK I am too, this is really suspenseful.

i was feeling the protestors at first, and i still dont want to see violence, but this whole thing was so poorly planned that it was hard to ever see it succeeding, and therefore, what was the point?

The government supports lots of things. Just because the government supports higher education institutions doesn’t mean they become public.

Private Univserity is private… you lose.

At this point, I just don’t want anyone else to get hurt.

@Anastasia – it’s definitely the TBNYU crew that are in some sort of protective, myopic mommybubble.

That said, I suspect they’ll find reality real quick in the Tombs later tonight.

what do you do bob jones?

Yes, Matt because in the real world all issues are isolated and seperate from one another. Haha that is sarcasm.

The reality is there is no such thing as PURE campaigns, all issues have degrees of interrelatedness. The thing these issues have in common is that they are the demands of conscientious NYU students. If you want your own demands and your own campaign wage it yourself your own way. These students are taking a stand and have a right to ask for what they want.

In agreement with Lauren. Charlie, we all owe you a meal or a stiff drink.

@ Jess

Yea all in all, I thought you guys (on both ends) did a great job when talking about what aspects of your medium you believe in. I did catch that whole “professionalism” thing at the end and I seriously pictured Randy (or the other one) reaching over to strangle Cody.

I would love to hear their legal arguments for (possible) trespass, noise violations, inciting a riot, etc. etc.

blake! yea man i was supposed to be doing something but i been sitting here mad long,

payoff should be soon though

Also, I am sure that the demand for financial transparency is also related to the boycott of Israel that some professors around the world have begun advocating. How can students at NYU demand their school divest from Israel if they do not know where their school is investing?

this countdown is about to be more intense than new years, keep up the good work soldiers!

charlie gonna get some love out of this, well deserved

the live-feed camera needs to be moved so we can watch the door

if any tbnyu ers is reading this, move the f ing camera so people can see whats going on out there ( I m talking about the cam for the live stream)

Uhm….totally unrelated but whatevs, James Franco is in Bobst right now

10 PEOPLE WALK OUT
Uncategorized

FRIDAY 12:45 A.M.

10 people have just walked out of the cafeteria, escorted by security guards. There is currently no information as to why they did so.

via NYU NEWS

they will probably get ready to use force, id be ready

Uhm….totally unrelated but whatevs, James Franco is in Bobst right now. Now back to local programming

LOL @ students who talked tough, but took offers of probation because they were scared of getting kicked out of school.

I think the protestors will all drink Kool-Aid at 5 minutes to 1am. That’s what they didn’t want you to overhear during their secret meetings. Then the cops will come in and haul the corpses to jail.

Seriously: the police are going to come in at 1am or shortly thereafter. They will quickly arrest the lot of you, although I hope they don’t arrest you. But if you are concerned, then there are still a few minutes left. You can leave now and only get NYU probation.

I don’t know how much the police will be able to discriminate between embedded reporters and the rest of the yahoos in there. I wish you all the best, you are a great voice of reason and humor in the midst of a bizarre and empty struggle.

@Anastasia

You’re right they do indeed have the right to ask for whatever they want. But if they were smart they would actually try to achieve some goals. I could barricade myself in Kimmel and demand all sorts of crazy things but that doesn’t mean it’s going to happen. TBNYU had a pretty legitimate gripe with the transparency of NYU finances and from what I hear the student body more or less supported them. But by demanding a hodge podge of different goals they not only completely undermine their credibility but they reduce the chances of any one demand being fulfilled to basically nothing.

So yeah, you’re right they can do whatever they want to do. They have the 3rd floor of Kimmel (for the next 10 minutes anyway). But if they actually cared about any of their goals that would have some basic sense of politics and try to be the least bit strategic. The ridiculous array of goals shows just how naive and stupid TBNYU is.

It seems someone felt a little bit threatened by a person making a cogent argument and decides to play the McCarthy game. And you taunt these students as immature, give me a break. Google me all you want, you obviously have a lot invested in this comment board. Get a life.

we’re definitely going to crash the servers when everyone tries to update the page at the same time at 1 am

they do have the right to protest it, however they dont have the right to tresspass nor do they have the right to prevent other students from eating meals which have already been paid for, nor do they have the right to shut down peoples place of employment or the right to injure the guards. they dont even have the right to damage university property. so once they respect others rights maybe people will listen and treat them as equals instead of the children that they are.

@anastasia
Don’t be such a twit we all know they have no right being in that building whenever nyu tells them to leave. Sure they have a right to ask for what they want, but not there when 1 comes around. And that’s not even their right to be there, its a privilege.

haha who was that guy wearing the rainbow blanket??

@ Anastasia Degrees of interrelatedness, yes, but honestly how effective is it to have a list of demands that goes from student priority for facility reservations to Gaza? For whom the bell tolls and all of that, but that doesn’t mean I should agitate for more student parking at my university’s Save Darfur rally.

oh, and just a nerdy journalism comment: I really don’t care about the TBNYU sit in or about Kimmel (I’ve been there a total of 5 times during my 3+ years here). But this whole thing has made me so excited in regards of the future of journalism. I mean, I’m actually a pretty old fashion person when it comes to news- I love print and I love the things that people sometimes hate about newspapers- but I love new ideas and I love seeing them executed well, and this is an example of it being executed well. And the immediacy (which I know you guys are all rolling your eyes at right now and saying, “god, is this news?”) of it, with the photos and comments and videos and all the little details (vegan cookies, snippets of guards’ convos), just makes me so so excited and happy.

that is all. end of nerdy journalism comment.

lots of ppl walking around with jackets on now on the live stream… probs what led to the 10 students escorted out

though i know it’s probably not sunshine and rainbows on your end charlie.

Bob, might it be worth disclosing that you went to Stern?

@Corey

“case in point, students at NYU (and NYU Local) who would be broadly or specifically sympathetic to TBNYU’s goals think TBYNYU is a joke.”

do you think this might have anything to do with the way their protest has been portrayed by our friend Charlie here? not to say that he isn’t doing a good job considering the circumstances, but the public opinion on all of this, at least in the student base, has largely been determined by what has been said on this liveblog, and the boy has a bit of a bias

GOD DAMN IT THEY KILLED THE FEED

and also it seems that quite a few of them have no right to be there at all since there not NYU students.

only 10 mintues till the cops come in and force em out

NO MORE CAMERA!! AGHHH!

@ dene – fully agreed

This has been hysterical. TBNYU fails

Word, Jared Smith, word.

what’s up, blake. glad to see you observing the action as well. i’m addicted. things aren’t looking good.

The live feed went dead. How will I know what happens at one???

@joe r:
if we’re getting a biased, one-sided view, it’s becaus TBNYU isn’t cooperating with press. if they would give more interviews so we could hear THEIR side of it, maybe we’d be more sympathetic

@Anastasia: I agree with Daniel and Corey; I received a TBNYU text message at 8PM Wednesday to come rally for this event, and was about to haul ass from Brooklyn to be there, but when I saw the eclectic list of demands and the fact that the event was originally billed as a dance party, I realized that these were just kids who had no idea what they were doing, and the whole process was going to be borderline masturbatory with nothing accomplished.

If the demands had been exclusively related to tuition and disclosure, they would have seemed less like kids trying to raise hell for the sake of raising hell and more like adults trying to change their environment through civil disobedience. Ditto if they had been just protesting Gaza, although then I would have wanted to know why they chose Kimmel and not the UN or Times Square.

I say this knowing full well what a pathetic picture it paints of my life. . . counting down to 1 AM is the most exciting thing I’ve done in weeks.

@ Joe – they’ve also had a livestream, which hasn’t helped them at all. hard to filter and bias a direct source

I really hope the NYPD bashes these morons skulls in. It would be the only time I approved police brutality.

please shoot some videos and post them cuz the live feed is off now

Well, as much as I would love to see these kids handcuffed and crying, they are a group of privileged white college students, sooo…probably nothing will come of this craziness.

tell them to bring the video back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! please

Not all of them are white.

This just in! New Demands:

1) Football helmet full of cottage cheese
2) 67 copies of “Moby Dick”
3) Naked Pictures of Bea Arthur

“I figure that we demand some weird stuff so that later we can plead insanity.”

BRING BACK THE LIVE FEED!

yae lack of live video is unfortunate. charlie, it’s all you.

as charley becomes a more experienced reporter he will get better and learn to report just the facts, overall good job

The hopes and dreams of a live blog comment thread rest in your hands, Charlie.

@Joe: Yes, I’m sure it’s all because of Charlie’s biased reporting and has nothing to do with the absurd list of demands (#1: Please don’t get us in trouble with mommy and daddy!!) and childish conduct.

three minutes!!! hahaha

he’s live feed blogging…. so what if he adds his opinion ?

You make me hot, Charlie.

Haul them away, then expel them. But better yet, send them to Gaza to help rebuild the university. There they will have the transparency, and all the other shit that these little pricks “demanded”

This might be more thrilling for me than a Democrat winning the presidency….

Good luck…

There isn’t an angle in the world from which this story could be presented in a way that doesn’t portray these protesters as naive, childish, entitled morons.

no new updates from charlie? did he leave?

You also make my roommate hot. Just saying.

Thanks again, Charlie. Godspeed.
-Sean Connery

nvm

Not gonna lie, Charlie – coverage of a sit-in never sounded so sexy.

Here we go… Any announcements made from NYU or NYPD?

you guys are missing the final days of conan. gaw.

ONE AM

GO GO GADGET PO PO

from takebacknyu.com
NYU STILL THREATENING ARREST & EXPULSION

Feb 20th, 2009 by Take Back NYU!

negotiations are ongoing. at least 5-6 hundred of supporters have taken over the entire street in front of nyu, and the rude mechanical orchestra’s still playing.

at the same time, nyu is threatening expulsion (for nyu students) and arrest (for both nyu and non-nyu students) who do not leave before 1 am.

@Salvador

While I agree that the list might seem a bit varied and random, and that perhaps they should have kept it a bit more focused, the things they listed are pretty interrelated, if not in the most direct, ‘here and now’ sense.

…if that made any sense

OMG THERE’S BLOOD EVERYWHERE!!!!!!!! SOMEBODY GET ME OUT OF HERE!!!

MY HEART!!!!!!!!!

(jk)

@ EUN

Thank god NYU isn’t wussing out. I can’t wait.

…its 6am here

@ Joe Reynolds

I think most of it has to do with NYU students hearing about it from word of mouth and various other sources and figuring that this was an ill-planned protest.

Any local stations live on the scene with video? In Soviet Russia video camera is used to beat protesters. It makes funny sound when hitting of the head of young hippie.

omg it’s Eileen Dover!!! hahahahhaha nice!

@ Joe Reynolds: Yea, public access to bobst, unionization for student workers, scholarships for gaza, a ban on Coke, and amnesty for protesters are all TOTALLY interrelated.

Why didn’t they throw in something about Iraq and 9/11?

@Corey

that may be true. but i guess what im saying is that the media hasn’t been particularly nice to them

ALRIGHT NOW WHAT.

The cop on the right looks like Carl Winslow

After all this, I don’t think I ever want to hear the word “solidarity” ever again.

stream back up “they’re spitting fire at the administration”

you’re my hero

Anything happen????

Your amazing!!!!

Charlie, I’ve never met you.

But I love you!

go charlie go!!!

Charlie you are the bomb!!

@Bob

“Pretty” and “TOTALLY,” as far as modifiers go, differ greatly in their intensity. im a bit tired so i wont type it out, but if you care to read their in depth explanations behind the demands, they give a pretty thorough description here http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=65247395409&ref=mf and im assuming on their website as well.

Charlie,

I have really enjoyed your updates and the irony of a group asking for full disclosure not allowing you to listen in on their meetings…

dude, leave. you’ve done more than enough. don’t get arrested over this.

i love you charlie.

We can hear what happens if you are free on the outside, as the protestors get hauled to jail. We will not be able to hear what happens if they cuff you and take away your computer. I think you should go now. No story is worth losing two nights of sleep over, plus you may spend the weekend in jail…

Bob Jones, how can you talk about immature? You just googled my name and posted my bio. You are the pinnacle of immaturity. Why don’t you give us your bio next?

Keep it up, Charlie! Thanks for the great [and usually really funny] updates; can’t wait to hear how this all goes down.

You’re my hero!

We love Charlie!!!

they’re attacking the barikades

they
re charging the barricades
111
\

Ignore him, you’re a champ.

I hope they already arrested all of them and took them down to central booking, from where they should be processed and issued “I AM A USELSS MORONE” stickers, and “I WAISTED MY DADDYS MONEY ON THIS LUNACY”

who is charging?

Charlie, you make me proud to be a journalist.

Charlie’s getting laaaaiiiiddd.

do i hear a helicopter?!

WTF is going on?

I hope they already arrested all of them and took them down to central booking, from where they should be processed and issued “I AM A 0″ stickers, and “I WAISTED MY DADDYS MONEY ON THIS LUNACY”

Stumbled across this thanks to facebook, and I really appreciate the inside perspective from someone who isn’t all about the vegan cupcakes (except when desperate). Stay strong man! <3 from Vassar

Thanks charlie, you’re a real sport about this.

Charlie, if you’re arrested, you best believe I’m bringing you care packages in prison

so what’s happening to the kids that leave now that they are given there last chance.

These kid’s barricade is horrible, they’re just lucky they’re not trying to fend of zombies or they’d be gone.

They are pepper spraying people…according to TBNYU

Three cheers for the indefatigable Charlie! Keep going, and don’t give up!

This is so fetch.

the snipers are allowed to open fire….. they will be taken out one by one…… jk

thank you charlie!

OMG WHAT IS GOING ON! i can’t make out much from the livefeed other than panic

Someone teach these kids to use a camera. Or get a flashlight.

Twitter is going. A RIOT IN THE STREETS! PEPPER SPRAY THEEMMMMMMMMMMMM

there’s a fucking riot: “tear gas mace reestablishing police line”

live feed’s gone! what’s going on??

Twitter says violence in streets and police cars arriving.

I live about 10 blocks away from Kimmel and I have heard 3 police cars whiz by on Broadway. This can only mean one thing: the head bashing begins!

According to Charlie’s twitter, people are actually fighting the police. According to one of the TBNYU people (before the video cut out), the local anarchists might have come out to play.

You are going to get so much play after this. Danger is hot.

twitter: arrest + expulsion I’m hearing

http://twitter.com/nyulocal

live feed: mace being used

Someone fill me in on what happening from the twitter feed please?

Well, you incited a riot, kids. Not many people can say they did that. Too bad you won’t be able to say you graduated college, though.

two six packs in
where the fuck are the naked girls?

people are running away? from outside or inside???

NYULocal Member nypd os kimmel: “if I had an idea of the time period for our involvement, I probably couldn’t tell you. But I swear to god I don’t”
half a minute ago from TwitterForiPhone

NYULocal cops are beating people
half a minute ago from web

NYULocal people are running away
1 minute ago from web

NYULocal could it be a bluff?
2 minutes ago from web

NYULocal arrest + expulsion I’m hearing
2 minutes ago from web

NYULocal pepper spray
2 minutes ago from web

NYULocal Now police cars with sirens coming
3 minutes ago from TwitterForiPhone

Twitter: Cops are beating people, Crowd is running

NYULocal tbnyuers still think they can restart negotiations
half a minute ago from web

well these kids had it comming, fighting the police is a bad bad idea

From twitter:
tbnyuers still think they can restart negotiations”

Yeah, sure they can: from the big house. Bunch of idiots. Enjoy the rest of your night, kids.

# tbnyuers still think they can restart negotiations
half a minute ago from web

impressive? foolhardy? both?

STAY STRONG CHARLIE! Shield your eyes from the mace!

Any truth to the use of mace?

there goes the nonviolence statement.

STAY SAFE

LOL…I guess NYU ain’t backing down. This s**t is going down.

I hope so.

@ Eun:

That was TBNYU’s nonviolence statement… are they responsible for the actions of the people outside Kimmel?

DO NOT FUCKING FIGHT COPS.

Katherine Pan,

They are not responsible for others actions but it sure ain’t gonna help them.

How many people are left in the space? Stay safe!

At least after today we’ll be able to say we don’t go to school with people like this anymore…

TBNYUrs got the crowd outside to calm down. They are telling folks to be nonviolent. Most of the crowd outside is listening and beginning to sit down.

Is the live feed back?

Twitter:

# Police on horseback, ambulance driver says his presence is precautionary, smell of pepper spray in air. half a minute ago from TwitterForiPhone

# inside that is half a minute ago from web
# suddenly calm again less than a minute ago from web
# tbnyuers still think they can restart negotiations 5 minutes ago from web

KPan: I’m wondering: who will take the blame for the injured guard? TBNYU will def. end up accounting for more than they thought they would.
also charlie, I’m assuming you are still inside kimmel from the twitter feed.

WHERE IS OBAMA AT? HURRY UP!

twitter:
# outside someone just got ripped over a barricade
less than a minute ago from web

What does that mean?

live feed back up

feed back!!

I get the feed in fits & starts; not really back up.

And its gone

and gone1 “we can’t show you what we’re doing” –jeezus

And down again, secret meeting. Charlie, get on it!

Twitter:

# First arrest of kid outside trying to climb “no parking” sign os kimmel. Pulled down and removed immediately by cops half a minute ago from TwitterForiPhone

Live feed: ” I need to mute you and shut you, because we can’t show what we’re doing”

ahh! “we can’t show what we’re doing!” So ominous!

The feed disappears with the comment “we can’t show you what we’re doing.” Irony?

WHAT CANT THEY LET US WATCH?

Live feed is gone, guy holding the camera said it’s because he “can’t show what they’re going to do.” That sounds pretty sketchy.

what???? so no discipline? what??

They got the guns… but… WE GOT THE NUMBERS!!!

I want to be Charlie’s friend, in facebook and in real life.

think you can get a copy of the doc?

wait… there was rioting outside but THAT was the first arrest?

What the hell do local anarchists have to do with this?!?!

These people don’t deserve “safe harbor” – except you, Charlie, and any other innocents caught up on the inside. Inciting violence is not forgivable. Poor cop with a hurt arm.

wait! what? what does that mean????

live feed (whether on or off) is fucking with my computer. can i count on you guys to keep it going with the updates? thank you! this is terrible what’s happening.

TBNYU just cut off their livestream again because “we can’t see what they’re going to do.”

“safe harbour”? they caused. a riot.

“Documents were just handed out to everyone. They are “safe harbor” agreements that suspend any disciplinary charges for the remainder of student’s tenure at NYU. Photo coming.”

For the remainder of their tenure? As in, get out of jail free card now AND until they graduate? I just can’t believe that, what’s the deal here?

sorry: “YOU can’t see what WE’RE going to do.”

so much for transparency.

NO discipline? Are you serious? They were fighting cops and trespassing. I just knew it. These dainty daisies with their wealthy mummies and daddies are too precious for NYU to lose, apparently.

I think Universal Distribution of Chocalate Cupcakes would lead to World Peace.

Hey. UPDATE! I have at least one friend inside and I want to make sure that they’re ok.

and “tenure at NYU” what about our genius friends from other schools?

I think they want more time to think the punishments over, to avoid bad PR.

is it getting better? worse? what’s happening?!

I don’t think TBNYU can be held THAT responsible for the actions of a mob outside. they had a statement of nonviolence. I don’t think they should be blamed for everything other people did.

The reneged their statement of no property destruction so I don’t think that will hold.

NYU has them backed into a corner either they cave or there getting hauled out by the police. by offering the agreement they save face and put the kids in a lose lose situation. a smart move on their part

You have to have had that wrong. There is no way they will grant them amnesty for any crimes committed today or IN THE FUTURE!

So…they get a get out of jail free card? So they can punch a professor in the face tomorrow and nothing will happen? They do everything wrong and are rewarded for it?

I can’t even imagine the volume of material that will be posted to youtube tomorrow about this

Alright that is ridiculous. They deserve some kind of discipline.

Sign the letter, you’re not going to get a better deal.

“I don’t think TBNYU can be held THAT responsible for the actions of a mob outside. they had a statement of nonviolence. I don’t think they should be blamed for everything other people did.”

Are you serious? Did you hear their rallies during the day? Inciting a riot much?

NO punishment?!?! This is bullshit! This is where people get the fucked up idea that actions don’t have consequences.

NYU just lost this alum’s money.

whats this about reopening charges if there are future infractions. Conditional immunity seems like a raw deal.
also, maybe not such a big deal. But if they want it to be legal… I believe that it has to be notarized by a notary

I will applaud their jailing.

@ Julianna: They can’t punch a professor in the face tomorrow because if they cause anymore trouble their legal troubles “arising out of the Kimmel event will be pursued,” as stated int he document.

@Anastasia: How should a school be governed? Should the students unilaterally get to determine the curriculum, salary of the professors, management of the endowment? What do you think would happen if students were in charge of all such decisions? If 80% of the student body decided that TBNYU’s demands should not be met, should TBNYU still be permitted to take over student space?

I vote Charlie be one of the five student body representatives. Represent dude!

I thought the barricades were stormed? How are people still in the cafeteria?

Katherine,

I posted that before I read the document.

So, suck it.

http://www.washingtonpeacecenter.net/civic/node

I love the girls crying. Just proves they liked the idea of a protest more than actually having one. Spoiled babies.

A note about these safe harbor agreements –

Notice the date range. (February 18 – 20)

Why is this poor phrasing by NYU’s legal counsel?

The safe harbor agreement (for lack of specificication) actually gives the protesters free reign to be in Kimmel for another 22.5 hours.

@Julianna M.

If they punch a prof. in the face tomorrow, or do anything else again while they are here at school, they’re screwed. The agreement is voided with respect to charges, and NYU can press whatever they want. Further, their signature on the waiver acts as an admission of their participation.

These kids are an embarrassment to the university. Speaking as an NYU law student, I worry how this makes my institution & degree look. I respect & greatly admire John Sexton but he needs to go tougher on these kids. Incitement to riot is not okay, and it was objectively foreseeable from the get-go.

a) take a look at the agreement, it’s specifically for these dates and the area of kimmel…furthermore, a technicality that tomorrow is stil the 20th won’t hold up– the intent is obviously for the protest alone

b) NYU shouldn’t be giving them the safe harbor agreement, but i can’t blame them

c) some of the protesters went outside before 1am… thus the riot could well have been incited by them

The next NYULocal meeting is gonna involve everyone giving Charlie a blowjob.

Okay maybe that’s just drunk sad me offering that but yeah, Charlie. Seriously, if you want that experience, you deserve it, and I’m here for you. This is on the record.

Not even joking give Charlie every Pulitzer.

-Josh Becker

@ Julianna: No.

@Neal

I imagine that should these kids try to stay in kimmel for the next 22 hours, said offer is no longer valid.

hopefully they take this, it even includes a promise of discussion regarding TBNYU’s issues, however symbolic it may be

NYU is playing this pro. More power to them. These kids are raising questions about valid issues, but jeeze this is a bad way to do it. All publicity is not good publicity unless you are a neutral party, like charlie. Charlie you are a true G.

>>Caitlin

True story.

And the lesson learned ladies and gentlemen is that there are no consequences for your actions. Do whatever you feel like and there will be no repercussions.

I wish I knew how much of the crowd were rubber-necking opportunists, rallying AGAINST TBNYU!, or FOR TBNYU!

@Ramsey

The OUTSIDE barricades were “stormed” by the crowd of mostly non nyu people

@ACG

Most people in the legal world, especially in this region, know not to associate the law school student body with the undergraduate. I wouldn’t worry about that.

@Joe and Bob

The intent of the agreement is quite clearly to offer an amnesty to all participants in the events February 18th – 20th.

The failure to specify vacancy of University space and compliance with University policies by a certain time on the 20th is notably and significantly absent from this agreement.

(sigh) I’m going to bed. NYU caved – as expected.

charlie, gothamist.com just picked you up

Schechter-

You’re not a lawyer, you don’t know dick. Please stop trying to pretend you do.

Also, a point could be made that the general amnesty was offered including the entire day of February 20th in order to allow for negotiations to take place.

Amnesty was, after all, the first demand of TBNYU.

Is this the beginning of the first minor victory for TBNYU?

Despicable. Next time, children. Stay at home.

ATTICA, ATTICA!

Charlie, after you win an award for this performance, you or one of the NYU Local staff should figure out how much this Kimmel Occupation has cost the University at large, through how much lost sales there are for a regular Thursday for the Kimmel Cafeteria and the over time for the public safety officers and of course for the dead bolt on the door.

Color me curious about what it cost for this event to occur

I doubt rubberneckers would be fighting cops. And would rubberneckers stick around when the tension with the cops turned into rioting?

Maybe you on the apathy circle-jerk of this blog have it wrong and maybe the occupiers have more support than you realize.

@ D L – True, true. Knowing a few recent alums of the undergrad colleges – excellent people, too – I feel worse for them.

Also, *ahem* – GET OFF MY LAWN !

I don’t think I ever met you during my year at NYU, but you are THE MAN.

@K

They’re mostly non-NYU students. Sorry to burst your bubble.

this is what people pay $50,000 a year to do?

@ACG the only thing that can hurt your degree is yourself, which sounds like a possibility after such reflections.

@Bob

You spelled my name wrong. But I won’t hold that against you.

If you have something to say to counter my argument, say it. But you don’t, all you can do is insult people. Which is fine, because everyone ignores your idiotic spam comments to begin with.

“amnesty for the night”? what does that even mean?

If these protesters want their voice to be heard, they need to make t-shirts.

This is called Action. Change. Progress. Sometimes, this is how we move forward. All the negative comments come from those of you who have not fought this battle on either side. You did not win, you did not lose. Get over it.

We got noticed, and now we are being heard.

amnesty for the night?? what does that mean? can you clarify?

I have a friend outside in the crowd, says its mostly supportive. Would people who were against TBNYU! really be standing outside in 13 degree weather?

This is fantastic – thanks so much for posting photos and updates. Solidarity!

update! i need to sleep. wish i were in new york so it wouldnt be almost 7 am

@sarah

amnesty for the night means protesting is hard, they’re tired and want nappy naps.

NYU is playing this correctly; refusing to negotiate or taking a hardline stance on punishment would cause them to dig in and continue to instagate; offering them calm talks at a later date and immunity for these events but not later ones is just the thing to make certain supporters feel ready to give in and go home. Also, it’s reasonable.

@Bob Jones – You’re right, a sizable contingent of that crowd is rubberneckers. For a brief time around 9:30, a few others and myself were there mostly to laugh at the crappy signs. So, K, I wouldn’t read too much support for TBNYU into the size of the crowd.

Amnesty for the night? So, they’ll be back to barricading in the morning?

Is it possible for you to set up a poll to gauge student approval of the occupation? I realize that you’ll get a lot of non-NYU students but presumably most of the people reading this are NYU students, or at least college students.

You know what the only thing worse than an armchair liberal is?

An armchair reactionary.

They want to stay in Kimmel overnight? Jesus. You give them an inch, they take a mile. Expel them. What is so difficult about this?

Dear ACG:

You’re worried about how these protests make your degree look? I don’t think you should be worried, if anything this protest is going to make things better before they get worse. If they don’t get what they’re asking for, whatever, things’ll resume and they’ll be expelled, I support the cause but wouldn’t be in that cafeteria right now.

@Another Supporter – who the frak is hearing ANYTHING of their demands? The only thing the outside world is hearing is “this is what spoiled brats do with too much time and not enough Starbucks.”

Thanks for the clarification charlie!

This is still ridiculous!!

“I doubt rubberneckers would be fighting cops. And would rubberneckers stick around when the tension with the cops turned into rioting?

Maybe you on the apathy circle-jerk of this blog have it wrong and maybe the occupiers have more support than you realize.”

Great, so you’re happy to have violent, aggro assholes repping your cause? This blog has been the opposite of apathy. . . learn what the word means.

Doesn’t it seem a bit ludicrous to have several Palestinian-centric demands in this protest? I mean, I’m all for giving to those in need, but to DEMAND that your college gives all extra supplies to one specific University is unfair. Can you really claim that Gaza U is the absolute best cause for your charity?

I say let them stay as long as they want. They will all, one by one, cave.

Laura, what is so difficult about your proposition is that it’s illegal to expel them. NYU student bill of rights.

feed up!!!

I thought they were getting amnesty. What’s to sleep over?

live feed: “decision making happening??”

feed up for a sec: “we are demanding amnesty for everyone involved…people in the streets…”

Yeah most of the comments on here seem like they come from old alumni people who have nothing better to do then be glued to a computer spewing hatred and salivating at the idea of a bunch of kids getting beat up by police. Despicable.

@ Another Supporter

Care to cite your evidence for that?

Also, don’t mistake “unwillingness to hit cops to make a point” for “apathy.”

they should just go to another university if they hate it here so much

Two points:

1) Please read the actual history of the American revolution, or the French Revolution, or the Glorious Revolution – having some factical basis in reality will help you feel better.

2) People who have nothing to do but complain have nothing to do but complain. It would be nice if we could use this exceptional civic forum for some ideation, so we – you and I – didn’t feel like we were talking to a flock of morons.

Thanks Charles – something on reporting?

…”and we need a good night’s sleep”

NYU should hire Harry Reid… he would fit in perfectly with the capitulation.

Amnesty granted??? WTF Anyone wanna shack up in Silver for the night… apparently, there will be no consequences from NYU administration apparently

i hope nyu mentioned something about them having to leave in the morning in their agreement, otherwise, come tomorrow morning, they’re all gonna start saying “these are normal kimmel operation hours, we don’t have to leave!” and buy themselves another day

“Amnesty granted for the night.”

What does this mean? They can all have a big sleepover in Kimmel? What happens in the morning- I assume they’re going to keep protesting, or else why stay overnight?

Which means the school caved and this thing drags on.

I’m an alum and I’m utterly pleased. It’s a manifestation of student power and at how unhappy at the way that schools have been corporatized. Education is a right, so is knowing where your tutiton dollars go. The Gaza demands are justified so are the transparency ones.

Continue the struggle!

SERIOUSLY?

I just realized how many people I know who are actually in the “occupation” right now.

Kinda scary actually. I hope they all make it out okay. And many are Seniors…I would hate to see them expelled three months from graduation.

The hatred spewing forth on this comment thread is really stunning for those of us who know people inside.

“Yeah most of the comments on here seem like they come from old alumni people who have nothing better to do then be glued to a computer spewing hatred and salivating at the idea of a bunch of kids getting beat up by police. Despicable.”

Actually, us “old alumni people” (class of 2004, thanks) help keep costs down with donations and support. I don’t expect the university to kiss my ass (no, really, I actually don’t), but we’re just as much a part of the community as the current students are. And, frankly, we’re some of the best hope NYU has of keeping it’s costs down. Alienating alumni is never a good thing. And trust me, we don’t want anyone beaten up. We just want NYU to have a backbone – which includes making good on their timelines and not giving these people “safe harbor” after inciting riots and trespassing. There’s nothing violent about that.

Wow. Just. Wow. Don’t mean to rub this in your face, but I just woke up from a loooong nap and got like 7 hours worth of updates. RIOTS ON THE STREETS!?!?!

God damn it. I’m going to bed. I’m so writing a letter to the administration voicing my frustration with the way this was handled. Why the hell are those non-NYU kids still in that building.

Again Charlie, I can’t IMAGINE why they don’t like you as I watch you jauntily say, “Well this is probably the time they’re gonna get busted!” right to their faces.

Unbelieveable…Really disappointing to see the admin giving in.

LOL

this video is hilarious

So i think all boils down to this:
A couple of kids were bored and wanted to do something that “matters”. Being super superficial they couldn’t decide on what they want.( the first thing they want is amnesty) They caused all this trouble to students, admins, police, cafeteria workers just for nothing. Tomorrow they ll go back to their safe homes and will think that they are heroes.

@neal

Perhaps the seniors 3 months away from graduating should have thought about the possible consequences first. No one to blame but themselves if they get expelled.

They should have done what I did and transferred. If you don’t like what the school does with your money, stop giving it to them.

whoever is holding that camera and talking should be quiet. unlikely that you are making any friends accusing people of ‘running away’ when tear gas was sprayed. of course they are going to get away from the window, you are fantastic when you are quiet.

(Though I pretty much liked my year there and my reasons for transfer didn’t really have anything to do with the school’s balance sheets.)

Charlie Eisenhood, you are the man. Get some sleep. You’re the fucking man.

Laura, actually scroll up you will see quite a lot of hatred and eagerness to see students get hurt.

Hey good for you, everyone in the building. I don’t agree with everything you stand for, but I think it is high time somebody in NYU actually did somehting that matters

oh and the assholes who are counter protesting because they want quasaddillas are all fatsos anyway.

@Another Supporter: Can you cite that? I’m not trying to be a jackass, I actually would be interested to see that. I’m pretty sure that NYU can expel people for trespassing; I would be surprised if that wasn’t the case.

hi john lempka! lol miss you! so sad i can’t be there for all the craziness!

but Charlie’s right….this is fantastic.

This play by play is really great. I agree with the majority of comments. If the TBNYU’ers had stuck to one clear agenda they would have garnered even more support from the student body, but by including the random GAZA-thing they’re alienated much of the student body. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

i was woken out of a sound sleep by a call from my out-of breath son as he was running to Kimmel to see what was happening….a riot?!….anyway, from the commentary, I get the picture. It sounds like the demands are a bit scattered and unfocused, though I can certainly relate to the escalating cost of an NYU education, I hope this doesn’t simply get them thrown out of the school… though at least then they might have to check out cheaper options. What does NYU do with all that endowment? I’m sure my son will fill me in on the outcome of this protest tomorrow. I’m going back to bed.

[...] video feed was perhaps the most emotionally compelling, though I also followed the twitter and liveblog. As of now, I’m not entirely sure what’s happening, but right before the video feed cut [...]

[...] night, Charlie was inside NYU’s Kimmel Center barricaded in with the protesters updating the events from his laptop with the help of NYULocal.com and Twitter. Charlie risked getting [...]

[...] thirty hours of liveblogging the TBNYU! occupation from the Kimmel Center cafeteria, NYU Local National editor and all around [...]

[...] on incitement to riot, and left one NYU security officer in the hospital. In fact, apart from the excellent reporting by NYU Local’s Charlie Eisenhood – truly a triumph of modern journalism – it’s hard to find anything to praise in this private [...]

[...] Just before 2AM TBNYU! members were granted permission to stay the night at Kimmel, but they would not be granted amnesty. This is when, after blogging for 30 hours straight, Charlie went home to get some well deserved sleep. The only person who ended up in a squad car was of Alex Deschamps, a Steinhardt Senior, who decided to mount a No Parking sign outside Kimmel. [...]