Administrators at NYU said they will proceed with disciplinary action against pro-Palestinian protesters who refused to disband a student encampment urging the university to divest from Israel over the war in Gaza.
Even though the protesters took down tents housing demonstrators, campus officials said protesters remain in violation of several other rules, and have not heeded warnings about the consequences of their defiance.
“NYU representatives engaged in many hours of discussion over Saturday, with support from several members of the faculty, in exchange for a commitment from the students that they would leave,” NYU spokesman John Beckman said in a statement.
“The students failed to honor that promise. Ultimately, no agreement was reached that day because at the 11th hour, others, including, we believe, outsiders, insisted that all demands must be met as well.”
Students established a new pro-Gaza encampment Friday evening after the NYPD cleared a similar occupation days earlier, arresting 120 protestors including NYU staffers.
The students, calling for divestment in Israel by their university, quickly set up tents behind the John A. Paulson Center near Bleecker St. and Mercer St. just after 5:30 p.m. chanting “disclose, divest, we will not stop, we will not rest!”
They folded their tents a short time later, reportedly after an agreement with NYU officials, but vowed to spend the night.
As cops took down tents, some demonstrators were seen throwing objects at the officers. Police used pepper spray as some protesters attempted to block buses taking away those arrested.
Stephanie Keith/Getty Images
NYU students set up an encampment in solidarity with Gaza on Friday. (Photo by Stephanie Keith/Getty Images)
Similar protests over the war between Israel and Hamas have popped up across the city and nationwide in recent days following the Columbia University encampment that launched on April 17.
Meanwhile, students not at the encampment walked out of classes in support of the demonstrators. Despite the university deadline, campus officials had not yet taken action to disperse the protestors.
“We are not afraid of suspension,” protest organizers wrote on Instagram. “We are here for Gaza. We will not be moved until our demands are met.”
