NYU Takes Hard Line With Protesters

Local students and city residents gathered outside NYU’s Kimmel student center today to show support. Some banged drums, others just chanted, “Solidarity.”

Drew Phillips a 22-year-old philosophy major at NYU was one of the last five protesters to emerge and said his student coalition, Take Back NYU!, felt helpless when the university did not respond to a letter written in September that called for more 'accountability and transparency' in the school's budget and funding. There demands are posted here.

NYU released a statement claiming the students were, “violating the university rules and engaging in improper activity. Nonetheless, we offered to sit down and have a dialogue with the students if they left the cafeteria; the students rejected our offer of a dialogue.”

The web savvy student coalition has posted their demands for the occupation here.

NYU spokesmen John Beckman released a statement that said the students broke a lock on a balcony door and injured a NYU security officer Thursday night. He also said students who participated in the cafeteria occupation are suspended, non-NYU students will be turned over to the police for trespassing, and “We will notify their schools of the participation of in improper activity.”