Feb 20, 2009 3:01 pm US/Eastern
NYU Student Protest Over; Dozens Suspended
Students, Police Clashed Outside Cafeteria Overnight; One Arrested For Disorderly Conduct
CBS 2's Kathryn Brown
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
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The third day of protests at NYU over budget transparency has students in Kimmel Student Center speaking on a megaphone to rally their peers, all without power, Internet, and restrooms.
CBS
After renewed calls for negotiations between NYU officials and student body protestors after a night of intense rioting, those who were still barricaded in the college cafeteria Friday have finally ended their sit-in protest.
Though the number of student activists holed up inside the third floor cafeteria had dwindled to less than two dozen since Wednesday night, those still engaged remained defiant until the end.
The students, who had been inside for three days, were talking with a megaphone to their peers who had gathered outside in the building's courtyard.
The university took away power, internet, and restrooms according to the students, but the protestors showed few signs of leaving anytime soon.
University officials said they tried to negotiate but their patience was running thin.
Overnight, they sent a letter warning those involved would face probation, but if they agreed to end the protest the University would not press charges.
As of noon Friday, only one student had signed the agreement.
"Take Back NYU! has been trying to engage the university for two years now," student protestor Anna Mullen said. "This is the first time we have gotten their attention. So if this has been going over the line, it's because we were driven to it."
"We have been clear that there are legitimate means of protests which we encourage our students to pursue…but there are illegitimate means of protests as well and this is what this is," said NYU spokesperson Lynne Browne.
Emily Stainkamp, a sit-in participant, called the university's call for the students to leave the Greenwich Village building "ridiculous."
"Holding the space is essential to having our demands met," said Stainkamp, an 18-year-old freshman from Greensboro, N.C.
The protest began about 10 p.m. Wednesday, when students from various city universities gathered in the seating area of the center's cafeteria.
Members of the coalition, called Take Back NYU!, pushed tables and chairs against the doors. As many as 60 students participated in the initial action, Stainkamp said.
It was not immediately clear how many students remained in the building by early Friday morning. NYU spokesman Devitt said they counted about 20 protesters still in the cafeteria. Khimji said some students from the original group had left, but she could not say how many.
The students wanted NYU to release information on its budget and endowment, including staff salaries and financial aid. The students also wanted the university to release its investment strategy and the names of the people and firms involved in it.
"We have given them countless opportunities to look us in the face and talk about the way our school is run," Stainkamp said. "They refuse to do this, except on their terms."
The protesters also have made the Palestinian-Israeli conflict part of their cause, demanding the university donate "excess supplies and materials" to help rebuild a university damaged in December by Israeli air raids. They also want NYU to provide annual scholarships to Palestinian students, beginning in the 2009-10 school year.
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