American South, 1960s: brave black Americans refuse to budge from segregated restaurants, risking injury, imprisonment, and death to stand for equality. China, 1989: college students take to the streets, many giving their lives to stand for democracy. Iran, 1999: college students riot, risking their lives to stand against theocracy. Manhattan, 2009: privileged white college students risk a slap on the wrist to stand for… a look at the school budget, and redress for self-inflicted wounds.
Starting yesterday, and continuing through this afternoon, a group calling itself “Take Back NYU!” stormed the undergraduate student center, “occupying” it and holding it ransom for a group of “demands,” ranging (mostly) from the vain to the mundane. The “protest” has since degenerated into a frat party, complete with needless, TBNYU-authorized property destruction and nudity (NSFW). Call me a jaded, privileged sell-out, but speaking as an NYU law student, I’m embarrassed for these kids. If these tactics are ever justified, they’re not the least bit proportional to the change demanded, and seem more Woodstock than MLK. For your own sake, kids, leave the building, get a frappucino, and go home, before someone gets hurt, and before you ruin any chance of accomplishing the few laudable goals on your “demand” list.
Meeting massive national political upheaval with silence, and mild administrative complaints with panic, violence, and bedlam: that’s post-1960 “student activism” for you.
A opposed to marching on D.C. and demanding that we withdraw from Iraq . . . or prosecute torturers . . . or even marching on Wall Streat and demanding the resignations of those who sold the student’s economic futures down the river for present profits and fat bonuses . . . .
Posted by Philip H. | February 19, 2009, 4:44 pmEx fucking actly! There ARE things in the world that deserve protesting, maybe even to this level. But it sure as hell isn’t budgetary openness at a private university.
Posted by Ames | February 19, 2009, 4:46 pmwhat about their pro-palestinian demands? how much more money could we spend on unmet domestic social needs if we weren’t sending $3 billion a year in military aid to support Israel’s brutal and illegal occupation? By demanding NYU divest from defense contractors doing business with Israel and having the school help out refugees, the protesters tied domestic campus complicity into several larger struggles.
Posted by daniel | February 21, 2009, 12:34 pmI fully support nudity protests. *Thumbs up* The rest of it seemed like a big joke or publicity stunt.
[i]Demand: Amnesty for all parties involved.[/i] From the damage and mess they created? I can only hope they don’t practice law. Lawlz!
Posted by Norseman | February 27, 2009, 9:32 am