oh, come one people, all this talk about pepperspray like it's a bad thing. just get yourself caught in a nice nypd wasabi spray stream with a mouthful of expertly-cut, murderously fresh yellowfin... a drop of perfection, i say.
I have it on good authority that 80% of the protesters were there for the cause of nuclear power as a safe and clean alternative to coal known as "Nukes Cool"! It's all about that Hooked on Phonics thing. They heard it on NPR.
I've heard they hate Starbucks. They can't be all bad. I might be tempted to run the risk of being pepper sprayed if I could help wipe out the atrocity that is Starbucks.
@Astigmatism: Oh wait. I'm sorry. I didn't take you and your iced chai (WTF is THAT??) into considerable and all the fatties that need whipped double dipped soy moy choy frappiccino mocha due lattes for $12.75. Yes we really need to have more of those places.
@BxgrlJeri: Darlin', it wouldn't exist if there wasn't a demand for it. Iced chais do not lead to nuclear war. If someone wants to spend $5 on a tasty drink, what's the harm? No one's making you go in coffee shops, Starbucks or otherwise.
@BxgrlJeri: All I know is that the hipster coffee shop in my neighborhood (populated by way too many skinny scarves)takes fucking FOREVER to pour a fucking cup of coffee. I know, I know, you are all award winning baristas (what the fuck is THAT!?!) but I just want a cup of coffee - pronto...
@so5minutesago: Iced chais don't need to lead to nuclear war to be wrong (what is with the hyperbole today?) I see the harm it caused to small, friendly, everyone knows your name coffee shops in NYC. That was my first objection to them. That was the harm. The whole mall aspect to Manhattan is just distasteful and Starbucks is one of the many chains that have added to it.
You don't even have to break through the fire exit. I worked at the library in the 65 5th building for several years while in school there and you can just open any fire exit to let in people outside and there are no alarms nor cameras.
I'm sure their mommies and daddies will crash their BMWs in Sagaponack when they hear their kids were suspended. Does not bode well for their trust funds.
Umm, are we talking about the same school? The New School is hardly home to hoardes of trust funders. I mean, lets be honest; trust funders can buy their way into far better schools. And do, regularly. Unless you are just implying that all kids who go to college are rich brats, which seems a little silly.
A Response to Bob Kerrey's "Note to the Community"
Today we witnessed undoubtedly the greatest disgrace in the history of the New School. Students practicing civil disobedience in occupying a mostly vacant school building have been pepper-sprayed, teargassed, beaten, and then arrested. Bob Kerrey is attempting to shift the blame for this absurdly excessive use of violence on the NYPD, which is not entirely false. 100 of cops, at least 1 helicopter, dozens of barricades, violence against supporters, and the violent arrest of the students is the result of NYPD brutality. However, Bob Kerrey also deserves the blame for turning the police loose on the peaceful occupation and working with them every step of the way as violence continued. He further tries to justify this in the most desperate, pathetic, manner imaginable: rewriting the history of the December occupation and fabricating an incidence of violence on the part of students against a security guard.
Let's look at his false account of the December occupation. He claims that he did not file a police complaint and implies the students were acting in a civil negotation, thus he negotiated. In truth, Bob Kerrey released a statement during the December occupation that he was working with Police Chief Ray Kelly as a result of a student assaulting a security officer.
History repeats itself as Kerrey returns to the same lie to justify the violence that resulted from treatment of the situation this morning. The assault and "injury" of a security guard is a fabrication. Students inside and outside were communicating with eachother throughout the morning and no one witnessed or reported any physical altercation with security personnel. In fact, there was no talk about this whatsover until Kerrey released his statement during the aftermath of the gassing and arrests at 65 5th Avenue. No mention of this, despite an open dialogue between supporters and New School Security. If there is truth to this allegation, President Kerrey, we demand proof!
The rest of the letter continues with Kerrey's typical lip service towards a respect "civic engagement." This comes after months of attempting to expell and threatening to arrest students who were organizing against him. Of course he turns to the illegal "paper caper" and "bye bob" incidents (involving a total of 4 students!) to divert our attention from the violence we have just witnessed.
Bob Kerrey, there is no excuse for excessiveness of your response to the occupation this morning. Your actions were witnessed by the Free Press, the New York Times, New York 1, Washington Square News, and many other news organizations. The truth is going to get out to the community despite your pre-emptive lies.
-The New School in Exile
UPDATE: I have just spoken with several security guards at New School, and they have shed some light on President Kerrey's claim that a security official was injured. Indeed there was a brief altercation with a "supervisor," possibly a maintainence supervisor, who tried to open one of the doors and had it accidentally closed on his leg. The man in question was not hospitalized and did not sustain injury. Any harm done to him could in no way be construed as intentional.
During the Vietnam era I turned down an offer from the PhD program at the New School to become a rock journalist. From what I can see, I would make the same decision during the Iraq era.
Okay, all snark aside. I get it. The problem is they went about this protest like assholes. That's the bottom line. Why force your way into a building to "Occupy" it like some sort of baby-militia? Get organized for Pete's sake. Draw up some real hand-held signs, not goofy banners. Have clear demands. Pick a small group of spokespersons. Gather outside of a building, peacefully, intelligently, with clear cause and purpose at an assigned time with a start and end point. Call the press etc. etc. But to barge your way into a building to just wig out, giggle, and watch it all unfold like some sort of student produced arthouse film...sigh. It's absurd, melodramatic, and just silly and they know it.
@Spirit Fingers: My sources tell me that the seasoned grad student organizing this effort would like to approach it this way but others are interfering (mostly undergrads-of course!) and making the mess. It's too bad.
I am a New School alum, and even though I often find such occupations amusing, one thing has to be reiterated: it's not just the students who want him out. The faculty voted to have him ousted. And he stayed. I can see why they are all upset.
But why doesn't the faculty ever do such protesting? They complain about Kerrey, and then let the students do the dirty work.
You can blame the students for wanting all the glory as opposed to an effective protest, or you can blame the faculty for not wanting to stick their necks out to get rid of Kerrey. Either way, I can't imagine Kerrey actually wanting to stay at a school that hates him so much; a REAL, COORDINATED effort has the possibility of accomplishing what they seek.
What happened today, in contrast, was a bullshit protest, and they got their asses handed to them. Maybe the New School should teach more organizational skills.
@DennyCrane: I mentioned on the other post about this that I had had Civil Disobedience training (how to make trouble, try not to get arrested, how to behave if you do)and picket training (how to chant without getting laryngitis. )It makes a difference, really. Act Up was very successful back in the 80's-90's because they ran well-produced events.
@citywriter: yeah, this is a good point -- i'm weirded out by the faculty, none of them like this guy and, unlike the students, many of them have been there since before, and it's a lot harder for them to just not go to work at new school.
@citywriter: First year that I Was at lang, many of my professors were on hunger strike and/or regularly going to protests. I know of MANY faculty involved in the protests.
@west ham sandwich: Long standing unhappiness over mismanagement, which he is a big part of. He got an almost 100% vote of no confidence from the faculty last year. He doesn't seem to be able to fund raise or develop for shit. The students, whose tactics might not be the most effective, would like to bring the school back to its old standards. Or so I read in various blogs.
@formerly it takes a lot to laugh: I wouldn't continue to pay thousands of dollars a year to people who are doing things I don't like. If these students started transferring to other schools, I bet he'd be gone in a New York minute. But other schools probably won't give them amnesty when they forcibly take over buildings, either.
@SarahHeartburn: the problem is that these are long-standing problems -- why the hell did any of these frosh even GO to the new school? going elsewhere would be a helluva lot better protest than paying them thousands of dollars for the privlege of breaking into buildings and throwing tantrums. seriously!
@west ham sandwich: The leaders of this protest are Doctoral students. They receive funding and were courted to the New School, many from overseas because of the continental approach to the core disciplines.
05/07/09
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My bad. Nevermind.
04/11/09
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04/10/09
Today we witnessed undoubtedly the greatest disgrace in the history of the New School. Students practicing civil disobedience in occupying a mostly vacant school building have been pepper-sprayed, teargassed, beaten, and then arrested. Bob Kerrey is attempting to shift the blame for this absurdly excessive use of violence on the NYPD, which is not entirely false. 100 of cops, at least 1 helicopter, dozens of barricades, violence against supporters, and the violent arrest of the students is the result of NYPD brutality. However, Bob Kerrey also deserves the blame for turning the police loose on the peaceful occupation and working with them every step of the way as violence continued. He further tries to justify this in the most desperate, pathetic, manner imaginable: rewriting the history of the December occupation and fabricating an incidence of violence on the part of students against a security guard.
Let's look at his false account of the December occupation. He claims that he did not file a police complaint and implies the students were acting in a civil negotation, thus he negotiated. In truth, Bob Kerrey released a statement during the December occupation that he was working with Police Chief Ray Kelly as a result of a student assaulting a security officer.
History repeats itself as Kerrey returns to the same lie to justify the violence that resulted from treatment of the situation this morning. The assault and "injury" of a security guard is a fabrication. Students inside and outside were communicating with eachother throughout the morning and no one witnessed or reported any physical altercation with security personnel. In fact, there was no talk about this whatsover until Kerrey released his statement during the aftermath of the gassing and arrests at 65 5th Avenue. No mention of this, despite an open dialogue between supporters and New School Security. If there is truth to this allegation, President Kerrey, we demand proof!
The rest of the letter continues with Kerrey's typical lip service towards a respect "civic engagement." This comes after months of attempting to expell and threatening to arrest students who were organizing against him. Of course he turns to the illegal "paper caper" and "bye bob" incidents (involving a total of 4 students!) to divert our attention from the violence we have just witnessed.
Bob Kerrey, there is no excuse for excessiveness of your response to the occupation this morning. Your actions were witnessed by the Free Press, the New York Times, New York 1, Washington Square News, and many other news organizations. The truth is going to get out to the community despite your pre-emptive lies.
-The New School in Exile
UPDATE: I have just spoken with several security guards at New School, and they have shed some light on President Kerrey's claim that a security official was injured. Indeed there was a brief altercation with a "supervisor," possibly a maintainence supervisor, who tried to open one of the doors and had it accidentally closed on his leg. The man in question was not hospitalized and did not sustain injury. Any harm done to him could in no way be construed as intentional.
04/10/09
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Oh to see them weeping in cuffs right now.
04/10/09
But why doesn't the faculty ever do such protesting? They complain about Kerrey, and then let the students do the dirty work.
04/10/09
You can blame the students for wanting all the glory as opposed to an effective protest, or you can blame the faculty for not wanting to stick their necks out to get rid of Kerrey. Either way, I can't imagine Kerrey actually wanting to stay at a school that hates him so much; a REAL, COORDINATED effort has the possibility of accomplishing what they seek.
What happened today, in contrast, was a bullshit protest, and they got their asses handed to them. Maybe the New School should teach more organizational skills.
04/10/09
04/10/09
04/10/09
04/10/09
04/10/09
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