As i write this, sitting on a luxurious Aeron chair in a comfy Manhattan hotel, a student "Rally for Justice" at Union Square is probably over, having ended either peacefully, in a spirit of celebration and solidarity, or violently with a rash of new arrests by the NYPD...
It may be just after midnight in Vancouver, but i'm well over the jet lag now, so it's past 3am for me and the rest of NYC, thus i won't be reporting in any depth on the events that have come to my attention. However, i'm certain that some folks back home will be interested in the ongoing struggles at The New School, so i'll say a few words and include the links.
I first heard about the situation this morning, as i drank a cup of tea and read this article in the NY Times. Before i go on, i feel compelled to say that it's been surprisingly and dishearteningly difficult to get clear and substantial information about the unfolding events. The materials Sara and i were able to collect from the activists all appear (from our wide-eyed, Canucklehead perspective) to have been written by and entirely for "insiders" — either fellow New School students or at least fellow New Yorkers (who might have been following the long-brewing story), so the Times article is the best i can recommend for a quick & general backgrounder.
After some digging around, i've cobbled together the following ultra-brief summary / analysis of what strike me as the salient points:
Students have at least twice occupied campus buildings recently, demanding the university president Bob Kerrey resign; Kerrey has entirely lost the confidence of the faculty (they have voted); it's hardly surprising based on all accounts of Kerrey's actions as president over the past 7 years in general, and the past few months in particular — eg: Kerrey recently attempted to appoint himself university provost (after four or five provosts resigned)...
Sure enough, when we got to the the Anarchist Bookfair this afternoon, there were ongoing updates about the students who'd been arrested on Friday. They have all been released without bail.
For more info:
An earlier Times article includes disturbing video of police aggression against the protestors. The "New School in Exile" website includes a variety of videos from which one can glean insight into their grievances. The "New School Reoccupied" blog contains posts ranging from the aforementioned "insider" updates, to (what i take to be) more entertainment-oriented accounts of their activities. Overall, the most illuminating source of information has been the Student Senate's website, but there might be more coverage to come on the New School Free Press' site.
In any case, suffice to say these protests, along with the bookfair — which was awesome, of course — have added a fascinating and unanticipated dimension to my first taste of the big apple. After visiting friends in Brooklyn, we bought even more books at the Strand and Forbidden Planet. It's been a feast... Will we be able to wake up in time for the Easter Parade & Bonnet Festival? Hopefully we'll make it to the Anarchism & Anti-Colonialism workshop being offered in the afternoon by a panel of Anarchist People of Color... Then i expect we will fight for our right to read. Quietly.
No matter what the coming days look like, i know my nights will be filled with fabulous anarchistic dreams (if i get any sleep).
No comments:
Post a Comment