URGENT: Ongoing Jail Support needed following mass arrests at Columbia and CUNY (CCNY) late last night. Mobilize NOW at 1 Police Plaza. Meeting point: 225 Park Row, New York, NY.

For Immediate Release: May 1, 2024

City College President unleashes police brutality on CUNY student encampment
Students remain undeterred, stand with Palestine

NEW YORK, New York, May 1, 2024

On the afternoon of Tuesday, April 30th, 2024, City College President Vincent Boudreau sent a letter to the CUNY Gaza Solidarity Encampment, warning that the encampment must be dismantled by the morning of May 1st, 2024, or the university would “consider all legal, disciplinary and operational measures at our disposal." In a call with the vice-chancellor, a CUNY faculty member representing the encampment implored the administration not to use violent force against peaceful student protestors. 

Inside the encampment, students who had earlier that day been engaged in craft workshops, teach-ins, and choir performances held a vote on whether to leave overnight, or to stay and defend the encampment. They voted unanimously to stay. 

Campus security along with NYPD locked down all entrances to the campus in an effort
to block access in and out of the encampment. Thousands gathered outside the gates to protest in solidarity with the students. 

At approximately 11pm, without warning, Boudreau requested the NYPD enter the encampment to arrest students and faculty. Boudreau claimed that he did so in the interests of student “safety” because the CUNY students and workers peacefully protesting posed a security risk. Protestors stood their ground as SRG swarmed the campus and were viciously attacked. Police broke the ankle of an undergraduate student, broke the teeth of two protestors, attacked and burned many students, faculty and at least one journalist with pepper spray at close range, and beat many more with batons. Legal observers were denied entry or arrested. Among the first to be arrested was the faculty member who had been negotiating with the vice-president moments earlier. 133 arrests were made.

As officers made their way on to campus, an autonomous group of students managed to occupy the finance office of the Howard E. Wille administration building in a final act of resistance. The students held the building for over an hour until they were violently removed and arrested. 

We will not be intimidated by these brutal and spineless tactics. We realize they express the university’s fear of our commitment to the Palestinian national liberation struggle. We take our lead from the steadfast resistance of the Palestinian people, who face far greater threats and challenges than we do here. As we write, the IOF is preparing to invade Rafah, with reports that military-aged men are being prevented from leaving. Our university's complicity in Israel's brutal genocide is the reason we created this encampment, and it is the reason we will continue to fight for our five demands: disclose and divest, a full academic boycott of Israel, protection for students and workers who stand in solidarity with Palestine, the demilitarization of CUNY and Harlem, and a people's CUNY not beholden to big donors. We will not stop until these demands are met. 

This is just the beginning. 

¡Viva viva, Palestina! 

🔊🔊🔊🔊

🚨 BREAKING 🚨: Brave students at Fordham University in NYC have set up an encampment inside the building despite the escalated aggression against students last night at CUNY and Columbia and are now being KETTLED in a locked down campus surrounded by NYPD. Organizers are requesting support from the general public. Mobilize within your networks to join the rally at 60th and Columbus in Manhattan NOW.

We call on the community to support our brave students in the encampments around the city right now- ALL OUT TO FORDHAM LINCOLN CENTER. ALL OUT TO NYU. ALL OUT TO FIT. ALL OUT TO TNS. ALL OUT TO STONY BROOK. ALL OUT FOR PALESTINE NOW!

🔊🔊🔊🔊

🚨ALL OUT TONIGHT FOR CUNY/COLUMBIA🚨
🇵🇸 Students & Community Speak Out on Last Nights Assault by NYPD
📍 140th & Amsterdam
⏱️ Press Conference at 6PM | Rally at 7PM
📱FOR UPDATES:
@wolpalestine
telegram: t.me/wolpalestine & t.me/wolprotest

‼️CCNY/COLUMBIA PRESS CONFERENCE STARTING NOW‼️

📍140th St & Amsterdam Ave

RALLYING NOW!

📍140th & Amsterdam

Still here outside of CCNY at 140th and Amsterdam 🇵🇸

Despite the police brutality unleashed on the students and community of Columbia University and CCNY-CUNY just yesterday, the people remain steadfast and rally in support of Palestine and Gaza! 📍: 140th and Amsterdam outside of CCNY

Head to 116 and Amsterdam at 9:00 for a light show outside Hind's Hall. Columbia and the NYPD seeks to erase all we have built but our fight is not over! We will not rest until Columbia divests.

Light show right now from the Columbia encampment at Columbia University outside of Hind’s Hall. Long live Hind’s Hall, every fascist state will fall! 📍: 116th and Amsterdam Ave

‼️‼️GET TO THE NEW SCHOOL RIGHT NOW! ‼️🔈

STUDENTS ARE BEING ATTACKED AND PUSHED BY PUBLIC SAFETY. ADMINISTRATION AND BOARD OF TRUSTEES HAVE FAILED TO AGREE TO DIVESTMENT COMMANDS AND REFUSE TO TAKE A VOTE. THEY ARE NOW DEMANDING STUDENTS REMOVE THEMSELVES FROM THE ENTRANCE OF THE SCHOOL.

THE BRAVE STUDENTS ARE NOT MOVING AND PLAN TO STAND THEIR GROUND AGAINST THESE INTIMIDATION TACTICS. PROTECT THE NEW SCHOOL GAZA SOLIDARITY ENCAMPMENT NOW!

We call on the ALL members of the community to get to The New School and protest outside with us!

📍63 5th Ave
⏰ NOW! ASAP!

DISCLOSE, DIVEST!
WE WILL NOT STOP WE WILL NOT REST!

UPDATE: ALL of our CUNY comrades have finally been released.

We are enraged by the brutal force and violence perpetrated by NYPD, SRG and CUNY PS. We ask you all to continue to call and email the CUNY administration and hold them accountable.

We need to press CUNY to advocate for withdrawing all charges against the protesters and to refuse to participate in the prosecution.

Not only is CUNY complicit in the genocide of our people overseas- but they are also directly responsible for calling the pigs to abuse and assault our people over here as well.

Our demands have always been clear and we remain principled in our solidarity. We do this for Gaza. We do this for Palestine. And with Rafah under a brutal siege and attack, there is nothing that can deter us from our goal to achieving liberation.

From the river to the sea, Palestine is almost free! ❤️‍🔥🇵🇸✊🏽

🚨ALL OUT TO THE NEW SCHOOL NOW🚨

THE TNS GAZA SOLIDARITY ENCAMPMENT IS FACING A SWEEP AND ARE CALLING ON EVERYONE TO FLOOD 13th AND 5th AVE NOW‼️

🚨ALL OUT TO NYU🚨

NYPD SWEPT THE NYU AND NEW SCHOOL GAZA SOLIDARITY ENCAMPMENTS EARLY THIS MORNING! COME OUT TO RALLY AGAINST THE ATTACKS ON PALESTINE SOLIDARITY TODAY AT 4 PM AT 181 MERCER ST‼️

🚨EMERGENCY ACTION OUTSIDE FORDHAM🚨
🗓️: TODAY Fri. May 3rd
⏱️: 5:30 pm
📍: E. Fordham Rd. & 3rd Ave. Bronx, NY

Students are standing up and taking action after Fordham administration and the NYPD swept their Gaza Solidarity Encampment. Show up and share widely!🇵🇸

From FIT SJP: (🚨) FIT IS THE LAST STANDING NYC GAZA SOLIDARITY ENCAMPMENT AS OF 5/3/24.

We call on our comrades throughout the city to come join us morning, noon, and night. It is vital we protect the final encampment.

📍344 8th Avenue, FIT Courtyard

🚨NYC URGENT CALL FOR MOBILIZATION: CITYWIDE DAY OF RAGE IN DEFENSE OF RAFAH
🇵🇸Take to the streets to resist the invasion!
🗓️Monday May 6th
📍Hunter College: 68th St. & Lex.
⏱️5:00 pm
📱FOR UPDATES/INFO:
Twitter/X: @wolpalestine
Telegram: t.me/wolprotest

Crowd outside Hunter (68th and Lex)
Getting ready to march! 🇵🇸📍

marching west on 68th!! towards madison

75th and 5th!!

walking north on park x 80th st