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The New York Police Department has released a narrative of today’s events at the New School. That narrative, which appeared alongside the YouTube clip it posted this evening, is posted without comment below.
Well, this is a little weird. The NYPD has put up a 1-minute-and-59-second video on YouTube. The video, shot inside 65 Fifth Avenue this morning, depicts a group of occupiers seated on the floor of a large room, as police prepare to handcuff and arrest them.
It’s a little odd that the cops would think that posting video in which they weren’t beating or pepper-spraying people would serve as a defense against evidence that they beat and/or pepper-sprayed other people at a different stage of the day’s events.
What’s really odd, though, is that the video is so short. If there was no police misconduct at any point during the arrests inside 65 Fifth, that’s great news. But if that’s the case, shouldn’t the cops release all the tape they have from inside the building, instead of just a two minute clip?
Earlier reports on this morning’s New School occupation can be found here.
The New School has released a statement to the media on what it calls this morning’s “break in at 65 Fifth Avenue.” The action was not “a simple political protest,” according to the statement, since the protesters’ “entry into this building was forced, they removed a man who was cleaning the building, took his phone, injured a security officer, and did physical damage to the building.”
In the statement, the New School confirms that it asked the NYPD “to remove and arrest those who were trespassing on our property,” and declares that all New School students involved have been suspended effective immediately.
The New School Free Press, a student newspaper, reports that in addition to the nineteen people arrested inside the building, at least one New School student and one NYU student were “maced and arrested” at about 11:30 this morning. There is no confirmation of the charge that police used tear gas and pepper spray inside 65 Fifth Avenue as they retook the building.
Click “Read the rest of this entry” for afternoon updates.
Ongoing reports on the New School occupation can be found here.
So I was supposed to be posting the final installment of my series on the New School In Exile this week, but with another building occupation underway at the New School, that post is going on the back burner. I will, though, share a few thoughts along the lines of what I was going to post there.
As of this writing, at 10:00 am, there’s been no formal statement from the students occupying 65 Fifth Avenue. No statement of demands, no statement of principles. If New School In Exile is behind the occupation, they’re not taking credit.
Other voices are, however, rushing in to fill the void. The New School Free Press is liveblogging the event, and they’ve got several strong quotes up from New School president Bob Kerrey. The story is all over Twitter, and it’s beginning to hit the blogs.
New School In Exile lost momentum in March in large part because it failed to use social media to keep its supporters informed and engaged. Take Back NYU suffered during its February occupation because others provided a more compelling ongoing narrative of their action than they did.
Today’s New School occupiers have an opportunity to create a new dynamic.
I have no idea what kind of internet access the Fifth Avenue occupiers have, but if they have any at all, someone in the building should be broadcasting — on Twitter, on a blog, even by commenting at news sites.
And if you don’t have internet access inside, or you’re too busy with moment-to-moment issues to be blogging, get on the phone to a supporter with a computer, and have them do it for you.
Tell us who you are. Tell us what you’re doing. Tell us why you’re doing it. Tell us what you’re looking for. Start talking, and keep talking.
Get your story out.
11 am update: One of the occupiers is blogging.
Student activists at New York City’s New School have reportedly launched another building occupation.
According to the activist group Take Back NYU, students from the New School have occupied “the entire building” at 65 Fifth Avenue. (65 Fifth is at 14th Street: map.)
The occupation looks very much like the work of The New School In Exile, As of 8 am, there’s been no news directly from the NSIE’s website or blog. More details as they become available, here and on our Twitter feed.
9 am: The New School Free Press is liveblogging the occupation. They say about 60 students entered the building at five o’clock this morning. Cops have cordoned off the sidewalk, and NS president Bob Kerrey says “this is an NYPD situation.” Kerrey claims students “broke and entered” the building, and assaulted a guard. A student inside said the group made a “peaceful entrance.”
9:30 am: News media are starting to cover the story (NY1, AP/Fox), but still no statement from the occupiers.
9:55 am: NY1 has a statement from student Andy Folk: “”Our demand for them to resign is consistent with the faculty’s ‘no confidence’ vote in Bob Kerrey. That demand was not met. Other demands were met, such as starting a socially-responsible investment committee, which Bob Kerrey is trying to bury in red tape. So, we need to show him by force and civil disobedience that students have a right over the school that they pay money for. This is just a demonstration of students taking back their space.”
10:00 am: New post up here.
10:08 am: Cable news channel NY1 is airing a lengthy live report from the scene of the occupation. They say cops have closed down some streets, cleared protesters from sidewalks. Report included video of masked occupiers on the roof of 65 Fifth Avenue waving black-and-red flags.
10:30 am: The New York Times and Gawker weigh in.
10:50 am: Blogpost up from the Village Voice, with photos. Says cops are blocking students from going to class. 13th Street shut down. “Massive police presence … helicopters whirring overhead.”
11:05 am: NY1 reports dozens of cops “preparing to go inside 65 Fifth Avenue.” Cops wearing helmets, shields, carrying plastic handcuffs.
11:20 am: http://reoccupied.wordpress.com/ claims to be blogging from inside occupation. Latest post says cops are storming the building, have used pepper spray and tear gas. Trying to get confirmation…
11:35 am: NY1 news reporting that police are inside the building and on the roof, and that “at least two” students have been removed. No mention of pepper spray or tear gas, no word on mass arrests.
11:45 am: Village Voice blog: “The cops have pulled paddy wagons between the press pen and the front of the building so the press can’t see any of the actual arrests.”
11:50 am: http://reoccupied.wordpress.com/: “Rally NOW at 6th Precinct! Let’s get them free!!! 233 w10th st at Bleecker. NOW NOW NOW Until every last one is out!”
12:05 pm: NY1 reporting that NYPD entered 65 Fifth Ave at 11:15, and cleared the building by noon. Nineteen arrests — fifteen men, four women.
12:30 pm: The New School has released a statement to the media on this morning’s occupation. That statement, and subsequent developments, will be covered in this follow-up post.
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