Successes

We, the students of New York University, declare the successes of this occupation.
The administration demonstrated their steadfast commitment to disregard for its students. There was no single attempt to negotiate with the students. The administration disingenuously presented the students with negotiation, which the students readily accepted. Once in the negotiation room, the administration revealed it had lied to us in order to remove us from the room. Their intent was never to negotiate, but instead to remove negotiators from the space and present them with a non-negotiable punishment.

The administration’s refusal to look students in the eye or attempt to hear our voices clearly reaffirms the need for changing university policy. An administration so unaccountable for their actions and so secretive in their operation, pushed multiple democratically elected students senators to reclaim the Kimmel Marketplace in the name of real democracy. We are appalled that the university put Public Saftey Officers at risk use of the guards as a tool to silence voices in solidarity. Several students and one security guard were injured when Public Safety was ordered to refuse the entry of food and hundreds of supportive students into the reclaimed space.

This protest is just a beginning to what is to come. Their action made national and international news, and showcased the real power of the new student movement sweeping the globe. Here in New York, a City Council member, Charles Barron, has publicly endorsed our campaign and shamed the university for its mishandling of student protest.

No doubt NYU will begin attempting disciplinary action, but no suspensions, expulsions or arrests can contain what began in the last two days. This fight will carry on in the hands of the dozens of people who made it inside, and the hundreds more who came out to support the occupation. NYU showed its irrational need to defend secrecy and its exclusive hold on power, and that alone will drive this movement forward.

For everyone showing support: the real lesson here is that you can act and you can make a difference. Take the lessons from the occupation on to your own struggle, and begin to act yourself. Onward.

NYU’s use of force and violence

02.21.2009 | takebacknyu.com

During the Kimmel Center occupation, NYU several times initiated violence with both demonstrators and occupiers alike.

Video at NY1 shows the mayhem outside, where NYPD night-sticked, pepper-sprayed and tased demonstrators during the midnight rally.

NYU remains silent on the use of violence against students expressing their support for the occupation, while at the same time trumpeting its concerns about minor property damage inside the occupation. This once again shows where the administration’s priorities lie.

Similar for the inside. Every student participating in the occupation has a story about NYU initiating force against them – be it during attempts to reach the occupation with students in solidarity, or when trying to exit the building. During both efforts to enter the building during the occupation, NYU positioned its largest guards at doors, and had them use fists, elbows, knees and feet in their attempt to shut down a peaceful protest.

Initiating the use of force against students cannot be accepted. NYU’s reaction during the occupation is profoundly disappointing considering their stated commitment to dialog and progressive politics both. We hope this event is a bell-weather in encouraging NYU to reconsider how it interacts with non-violent protesters.

The real story of the occupation will be told by the voices and bruises of Take Back NYU! members who participated, not by the frustrated public pronouncements of our administration.

Solidarity

02.21.2009 | takebacknyu.com

SOLIDARITY FROM THE UK –

message of support

Dear Take Back NYU!,

We, the students of Cambridge Gaza Solidarity, are writing to express our support for your occupation. Faced with the deafening silence of our academic community concerning Israel’s action in Gaza; the Israeli blockade of Gaza; and the continued Israeli presence in Gaza and the West Bank, we felt compelled to take action….

Update on the occupation.

02.20.2009 | takebacknyu.com

A prominent head of a Department here at NYU has issued a statement of solidarity with the students involved in the occupation of the Kimmel Center, and much of the faculty in that dept. have taken a stand to support these students as the occupation commences

Helsinki University has also pledged solidarity with the NYU occupation, and recognized the parallels that their demands have with the demands issued by the students here at NYU. Also, the University of D.C. has issued statements of support for NYU and those individuals fighting for student democracy on their campus.

Right on!

NEW SCHOOL STUDENTS WIN MAJOR VICTORIES!! NYU, YOU’RE NEXT!!

12.18.2008 | http://takebacknyu.com

New School students won major victories last night in their struggle to bring democracy, transparency and student power to campus! THIS IS A MAJOR VICTORY FOR STUDENT POWER EVERYWHERE! NYU, you’re next!

Like the New School, NYU is rich with hypocrisy, secrecy and lies. We the students ARE the university, and as we learned last night WE CAN TAKE IT BACK! It is becoming clearer every day that student power is not a pipe dream. It’s an inevitable reality for all those willing to fight for it. OUR DAY IS ON THE WAY!

Check out http://www.newschoolinexile.com/ for more info on last night’s victory.

Study Breakdown Takes Back Bobst!

12.12.2008 | takebacknyu.com

Tonight, with the help of Take Back NYU!, one hundred and fifty funky students got down to some ill jams in Bobst library! If you were there, you might have noticed the energetic mob bouncing around while singing to MIA and Le Tigre. Onlookers quickly joined in, and we danced like there was no tomorrow for the better part of an hour. Security tried to shut our party down, but we kept it real….

CREATIVE ACTIVISM PANEL

12.08.2008 | takebacknyu.com

…WHAT:

The overarching theme for the evening should be about ‘What makes an effective action?’. More specifically:…

Dance Party in Bobst

11.28.2008 | takebacknyu.com

Just got invited to an event on Facebook called “Study Breakdown”, a Bobst dance party the night before reading day at 8. it sounds a lot like the freak-ins that happened in the 60’s here at NYU (we actually spoke about them at the first TBN! event!), or Pandamonium, the Williamsburg panda takeover that happened this summer. Pandamonium ended with a fair amount of police brutality, hopefully the “JSex” organized party won’t…