Education

‘Occupy CUNY’: NYC Students Drop Books on Police in Chaotic Tuition-Hike Protest

Chaos erupted yesterday when students at the City University of New York (CUNY) engaged in a daylong protest rally against tuition increases. While some protesters claimed that the uproar, which ended in 15 arrests, was totally unrelated to the Occupy Wall Street movement, the tactics and chants employed seemed oddly reminiscent.

In a student-led protest during the day on Monday, students chanted, “Banks got bailed out, students got sold out” — a line that was taken almost word-for-word from the Occupy playbook. Denise Romero, a junior who helped organize the event, though, claims that the student protest is different from the Occupy movement. “We support them and they support us, but we are not affiliated,” she explained.

The protest began with some organizers from Students United for a Free CUNY, a group that believes that free education is a right. The coalition stands opposed to the city and state’s plans to raise tuition by $300 each year for the next five years.

On Monday evening, the situation elevated when protesters ignored police officers’ requests to clear out the lobby of a building at Baruch College, part of the CUNY system. The students arrived at the scene to protest a CUNY Board of Trustees meeting that was being held to address proposed tuition hikes. The official vote on the measure will take place next Monday.

The New York Times has more about the incident:

Carlos Pazmino, 21, a City College student who helped organize the protest, said that after students began opening doors to the auditorium where the CUNY trustees were to hold a public hearing at 5 p.m., CUNY police officers surrounded the entrances and pushed back, using their batons, and that when students formed a line to push past, the officers began hitting the students with the batons.

“I saw two people knocked down by cops,” Mr. Pazmino said. “They were arrested and one guy’s head was bleeding.”

From higher floors, the Times reports that students dropped books on police, as 200 to 300 protesters stood outside of the lobby and shouted “Shame!,” while pounding on the outside of the building.

To prevent further chaos inside of the trustees meeting, campus police restricted access and told the protesters that they would be arrested for trespassing.

Watch the chaos below:

Already, the CUNY system is among the most affordable public education systems around. This chart showcases the current annual rates within the system:

Occupy CUNY Students Clash With Police Over Proposed Tuition Hikes

CUNY spokesman Michael Arena addressed the First Amendment issues surrounding the incident.

“There’s been plenty of exercise of free speech tonight, both on the street and in the room, but there comes a point where if our students can’t attend the classes that they need to get, that‘s something that’s going beyond the opportunity of free speech,” he explained.

Here’s a report from Russia Today entitled, “Police Attack Occupy CUNY Students:”

Students are likely to continue their protests, as the Occupy movement rages on.

(H/T: The New York Times)

Comments (93)

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  • Depressed_American
    Posted on November 22, 2011 at 9:35am

    …”In a student-led protest during the day on Monday, students chanted, “Banks got bailed out, students got sold out” — a line that was taken almost word-for-word from the Occupy playbook. Denise Romero, a junior who helped organize the event, though, claims that the student protest is different from the Occupy movement. “We support them and they support us, but we are not affiliated,” she explained.”

    What the Heck does the Banks have to do with Tuition Hikes????

    STUDENTS and OWS PROTESTERS!!! YOU NEED TO PROTEST AT THE COLLEGES AND CITY HALL, NOT THE BANKS!!!!!!!

    Report Post » Depressed_American  
    • ozchambers
      Posted on November 22, 2011 at 9:43am

      The rise in College tuition has been ridiculous and worthy of dissent, but you are correct. This has NOTHING to do with banks. The OWS idiots are calling for free college from big brother.

      Report Post » ozchambers  
    • V-MAN MACE
      Posted on November 22, 2011 at 9:52am

      The banks get .01% loans from the Federal Reserve, which was given authority by Congress.

      Congress is irrelevant (especially after reliquishing the power to print currency to the Fed, and definitely after forming a “supercongress”), the Fed is unaccountable, and the banks are sitting on 27 trillion dollars in bailout funds.

      Let them protest. The cops need to GTFO of the way and let those kids protest, the cops are funded with the same deficit spending and lending from the Fed- cities are broke, counties are broke, states are broke.

      Cleveland laid off cops because of budget shortfalls (they weren’t able to rape the taxpayer for more revenue), so what happens? The Feds print money and grants (gives) it to Cleveland Police to hire 25 more officers.

      Who’s money is that? Why isn’t the Fed giving out-of-work taxpayers money to go back to work?

      Why is the Fed showing favoritism to UNIONS (including police unions) and disregarding the out-of-work taxpayer? It doesn’t matter if the person is unemployed- and hence not paying income tax,etc. The National Debt is EVERYONE’S debt…and the Feds tack all their little giveaways onto our National Debt…

      Abolish the Federal Reserve.

      Report Post » V-MAN MACE  
    • Bum thrower
      Posted on November 22, 2011 at 10:01am

      I agree; but the idea is to protest; donesn’t matter for what cause; just cause chaos, and presto, according to BHO, and the looney lefties, the American People will be ready to surrender to stop the chaos………..yea……………‘lock and load’, boys……..

      Report Post »  
    • Unix
      Posted on November 22, 2011 at 10:18am

      America in ruins…our youth brainwashed by communists and our Pols absolutly corrupt, what is left?

      Report Post » Unix  
    • cemerius
      Posted on November 22, 2011 at 10:27am

      The 2nd Amendment will stand and as long as it is there we will have the power of real change….problem is that the progressive/liberal/lefties are the “proffesional” revolutionaries and us True Americans “citizen soldiers” would be steam rolled by the so called smart elite!!!!

      Report Post » cemerius  
    • AvengerK
      Posted on November 22, 2011 at 11:51am

      DEPRESSED_AMERICAN…because this doesn’t have anything to do with high college tuition fees. There’s a wink and a nod between the students and their overpaid, tenured, aging-hippie professors. This is why Bill Ayers can appear at OWS and not get assaulted. This is about imposing socialism and cronyism on a grand scale. Look at OWS’s attempt to derail “Black Friday”….they’ve given a list of businesses they disapprove of and marked for attack.

      Report Post »  
    • drattastic
      Posted on November 22, 2011 at 12:25pm

      Apparently they don’t teach the “students” to do any critical thinking in college these days and common sense is in short supply. If you want to protest tuition hikes ,then maybe they should protest the source of the hikes ,THE DAMN COLLEGE . What a bunch of mindless lemmings ,the liberal elites must be laughing their a$$e$ off at how easy it is to control these “useful idiots”.

      Report Post » drattastic  
    • JRook
      Posted on November 22, 2011 at 3:17pm

      Beyond all the ideological garbage here it is interesting to note that most baby boomers attended college when the states and federal government paid 70% or more of the cost of state universities and colleges. Those baby boomers who attended California’s universities and colleges, basically paid for books and some random fees as tuition was free. Point being that taxes at that time paid for the majority of their tuition. Now when it is their time to contribute to the tuition of younger students they decide that their McMansion and BMW is more important and of course they deserve it. Where would they be if the adults at the time made the same choice. Society benefits when the best and brightest are educated to the maximum of their ability. Students should be allowed in college and educated to whatever level based on their intellect and effort, not their ability to pay. The students are right here and to argue otherwise is to have a PhD. in rationalization.

      Report Post »  
    • GhostOfLiberty
      Posted on November 23, 2011 at 6:43pm

      @CEMERIUS: You are totally right, man. However, the Ceberus Holdings Group owns the Freedom Group. The Freedom Group owns almost every weapon and ammunition manufacturer in the US. George Soros owns Ceberus Holdings. That said, the infringement on our 2A rights will happen legally when Soros decides to either stop production, or drive the cost so high that no one can afford a firearm or ammunition. And all Obama has to do is sit back and he can legally say that he did nothing against the 2nd Amendment, and that it is capitalism that infringed upon our right. But since Obamalamadingdong is in bed with Soros (literally, I’m sure, and figuratively) and Obama wants to take our weapons away, he built a win-win scenario for himself.

      Now, about the tuition: It costs to get an education. It is a fact of life, and a college or university is a business just like any other. If they have to pay their staff to deal with an increasing number of people who are unable to think for themselves each year, then the cost to attend rises. It cost me 45,000 for school. I have been out for two years and already have my loans paid back.

      We have the right to life, liberty, and the PURSUIT of happiness. We are not guaranteed the right to be happy. We are not guaranteed the right to be successful. And we are definitely NOT guaranteed the right to attend college. Stop with the entitlement BS people. We are only entitled to Constitutional rights. Everything else is a moot point.

      Report Post » GhostOfLiberty  
  • GatorSkin
    Posted on November 22, 2011 at 9:31am

    Their parents must be soooo proud of their little parasites.

    Report Post » GatorSkin  
    • Jennifer_D
      Posted on November 22, 2011 at 9:52am

      Especially considering that the majority of them have probably taken out loans and are living like a rockstar through college! This comes down to wanting entirely free college education.

      Report Post » Jennifer_D  
    • Unix
      Posted on November 22, 2011 at 10:26am

      That is part of the problem liberal, CUNY should never have been created in the FIRST PLACE – ignorance is bliss I guess.

      Report Post » Unix  
    • YoungBloodNews
      Posted on November 22, 2011 at 10:49am

      @EN

      NOPE, Cuny serves Cuny. Teabaggers hahahahah that term is SOOO last year. I love the infighting, keeps you dolts distracted from the real issues. The left blames the right, the right blames the left – people follow suit, the people get fleeced by both “parties”.

      Report Post » YoungBloodNews  
    • Detroit paperboy
      Posted on November 22, 2011 at 10:50am

      Has anybody told these morons that the banks paid that money back, and half of them didnt want it in the first place ? Although i would be pissed too if i spent forty five thousand to listen to an ex hippie professor indoctrinate me for four years to earn a worthless degree, and then no jobs uz the govt. Is killing the private sector….

      Report Post »  
    • Stoic one
      Posted on November 22, 2011 at 12:58pm

      Hey ENCINOM,

      I went to SUNY Oswego back in the ‘70’s. CUNY was paid for by the SUNY system. Why was it free? At the time more than 50% of New York State’s voting population was in NYC; the cost was put on the back of the State by the majority vote…

      Report Post » Stoic one  
  • SpankDaMonkey
    Posted on November 22, 2011 at 9:24am

    .
    The NYPD are getting their butt’s kicked. Wonder when one of them is gonna snap?…..

    Report Post » SpankDaMonkey  
    • Mandors
      Posted on November 22, 2011 at 10:14am

      Time to Tienamen their butts. They don’t have the sympathy of the 99% the claim to represent. They’re not going to martyr.

      Report Post » Mandors  
  • Free2speakRN
    Posted on November 22, 2011 at 9:23am

    All these people: OWS, early release prisoners, union thugs, anti-American, anti-capitalists, socialists, communists, anarchists, gangland servicemen, etc,etc, are likely members of Obama’s Civilian Army. Hey, I could use the money. I’m over my head in debt. But not this, not this. There are ways to fix things, ways to create jobs, ways to give people a non-violent purpose in life. This is not the way to do it. Why do we need a civilian army, anyway? Because there aren’t enough police to control this planned orchestration? Top down, Bottom up, Inside out.
    Don’t lose Faith. Don’t lose Hope. And don’t lose Charity. We are going to need them all.

    Report Post »  
    • Ne_FAL
      Posted on November 22, 2011 at 12:21pm

      Yes the Socialist/communists/Democrats are fighting to turn this nation into a socialist slave nation . Can anyone tell me what the elites of the Republican party doing to counter this in any way shape form or fashion? Again the GOP is more interested ingoing along to get along than put forth any serious effort to advocate the Constitution,the capitalist system of economics, limited government, liberty in general.

      Report Post »  
    • Free2speakRN
      Posted on November 23, 2011 at 12:03am

      Ne_FAL,

      Obama could do something to keep himself and his gang in power. He’s pulled every loop-hole from every loop-hole until and including today. And he’ll keep going. …..No election, Martial Law, Police State. Like you said, I hope some people ‘wake up and smell the crap’.

      Report Post »  
  • tobywil2
    Posted on November 22, 2011 at 9:20am

    College tuition has sky-rocketed in the cronyism economy. http://commonsense21c.com/CRONYISM.html
    Unless one is very rich, one must use cronyism to obtain a scholarship to obtain an education from a world class institution. Not so when Cronyism was less developed. In 1957 I graduated from the Georgia Institute of Technology with a degree in engineering. My tuition was paid from my earnings as an inspector in an aluminum anodizing plant. A quarter’s tuition consumed about 1 & 1/2 weeks take-home pay. Of course, you can do that today. The bureaucratic nonsense has sent most manufacturing jobs to China and tuition fees have skyrocketed.

    Report Post » tobywil2  
    • 1unwashed
      Posted on November 22, 2011 at 10:40am

      The degrees they are getting are not like you have. They are learning social justice in colleges today. Unless getting a degree like engineering, colleges are just there to brainwash kids and unfortunately it is easy to do because many parents haven’t instilled good moral character into their children.

      Report Post »  
    • barber2
      Posted on November 22, 2011 at 11:24am

      1UNWASHED: You nailed it…

      Report Post »  
  • Rickfromillinois
    Posted on November 22, 2011 at 9:18am

    Of course education should be free! And who is going to pay for it? The Rich of course! If we just taxed them more we would all own houses, new cars, big screen T.V.’s, be able to retire early, have great paying jobs, have health care, and when we pass gas it would smell like flowers. Taxing the Rich would solve all of our problems. I we want anything it should be free and would be if those greedy rich would only pay their fair share………These students getting their higher education are idiots. Here’s a shocker, they don’t have the right to go on the campus and force their way into wherever they want to go. The answer is simple. Use facial recognition to discover who these students are and expel them forever. Somehow these geniuses have come to believe that freedom of speech means that they can go wherever they want and do whatever they want.

    Report Post » Rickfromillinois  
    • LOLReally
      Posted on November 22, 2011 at 10:04am

      I agree, fire up the ban cam, expelovision. They act like unions, treat them like one, I’m sure there are many who would replace them in thier absence.

      Report Post »  
  • bhelmet
    Posted on November 22, 2011 at 9:18am

    Yeah, take it out on the police – they are the ones hiking tuition. I wonder if these dupes will ever see how they are being used?

    Report Post » bhelmet  
    • Average_Joseph
      Posted on November 22, 2011 at 9:36am

      This nonsense has to stop. One way to end this is to have the college/university expel any student involved in these types of protests that clash with police or school security. Then once they are dismissed their names should be made public to discourage other schools from admitting them. After that it should be up to the local District Attorney, with the help of the school, whether charges should be pressed. I guarantee that using this tactic on a few “students” will stop any more of these “protests.” This is only a small group of troublemakers that are creating this havoc. Deal with them swiftly and severely and put an end to this problem.

      Report Post » Average_Joseph  
    • barber2
      Posted on November 22, 2011 at 11:29am

      Average: Agree. Bring back expulsion for law breaking. These kids grew up in public schools where the students who disrupted the learning process where coddled instead of disciplined or removed from classrooms. These kids think that all “demonstrating” is just more of the same behavior – not breaking the law. There is a difference between demonstrating and Occupying. They need to learn the distinction…

      Report Post »  
  • TRONINTHEMORNING
    Posted on November 22, 2011 at 9:16am

    Hey children, grow up or get out. With people like this in college, this nation is in trouble.

    Report Post »  
  • ColoradoMaverick
    Posted on November 22, 2011 at 9:15am

    Yes, let’s blame the cops for hikes in tuition. First of all, it’s called inflation. This is a funny thing that happens when Obama monetizes the debt by printing trillions of dollars to pay for his unfunded government spending spree. Now if you knew anything about economics, you would know this.

    Report Post » ColoradoMaverick  
  • Dismayed Veteran
    Posted on November 22, 2011 at 9:11am

    I am going to write a comment in MSWord and simply paste it. There are too many instances of this criminal behavior going on in the world. If you would have asked me 2 years ago if I believed in civil war, I would have said: NO. Today, I am not so sure.

    Report Post » Dismayed Veteran  
  • biohazard23
    Posted on November 22, 2011 at 9:09am

    If these dolts want a free university education, why don’t they move to Denmark or some other socialist utopia to get it? Why muck things up for everybody else just struggling along to get by day after day? I’m sure those “entitled students” don’t represent the entire student body anymore than the OWS fleabag gers represent the majority of the American population.

    Report Post » biohazard23  
    • Mandors
      Posted on November 22, 2011 at 10:12am

      They can’t. In the “free” education countries, they make the kids take tougher entrance exams. You pass you’re in. You don’t, grab a spatula. (Or come to the U.S.–that’s why we get a lot of foreign undergrads.)

      Report Post » Mandors  
    • Gonzo
      Posted on November 22, 2011 at 11:04am

      In those countries, you don’t have 48% of the population exempt from income tax and they’re paying 50% tax rates.

      Report Post » Gonzo  
  • ares338
    Posted on November 22, 2011 at 9:08am

    This is the same as the 60′s protests except this time we have a POTUS who backs the movement. A college education is not a right!

    Report Post » ares338  
    • barber2
      Posted on November 22, 2011 at 10:34am

      Totally agree. The present POTUS was himself infected by the Marxism taught to him by his many mentors, including his stint at Occidental College, the Moscow of southern California !

      Report Post »  
  • Gonzo
    Posted on November 22, 2011 at 9:08am

    Hey kiddies, you don’t HAVE to pay. Vote with your feet. That’s how you change things. This is just a temper tantrum.

    Report Post » Gonzo  
  • carl_in_ohio
    Posted on November 22, 2011 at 9:06am

    so what’s your point, Eliasim?

    As hyper-inflation begins to take shape..buying food will be more difficult for everyone.
    and yes, the police forces will dwindle with fewer tax dollars.

    So, are you trying to say that is a good thing? are you for or against the police?
    Remove the police, and see what the occupy movement is really capable of destroying.
    I’m not sure of your position, but I hope you’re not naive enough to think that the police are over aggressive or a bad element.
    If you do believe this, I’d be happy to debate you further.

    Report Post »  
  • spreadcommonsensenot pc
    Posted on November 22, 2011 at 9:06am

    Schools “normally” announce higher fees/tuitions during the off season not during school………
    this was used just to stir the kids up——-DROP THE BOOKS ON THE DEAN/PROFS HEADS

    Report Post »  
  • Striker
    Posted on November 22, 2011 at 9:06am

    “Banks got bailed out, students got sold out”…..This goes to show these kids do not have a clue as to how business works. Wall Street had nothing to do with the increased tuition. They want free education, they can have it anytime they want. With a library card, they can get the same education as a Harvard student. You just have to want it bad enough.

    Report Post »  
  • Lordchamp
    Posted on November 22, 2011 at 9:05am

    Walk away police. Let them have the colleges. They serve no real purpose any more anyways except to create these brainwashed zombies. The colleges are a large part of the problem so take this opportunity to let them be destroyed so they can be rebuilt into something of use.

    Report Post »  
    • Lordchamp
      Posted on November 22, 2011 at 9:07am

      I’m sorry for insulting zombies, they actually have more intelligence than these idiots.

      Report Post »  
    • Ssenkrad
      Posted on November 22, 2011 at 9:12am

      I‘m sure the zombies don’t mind. I think the zombies are just ticked off right now that there’s not a brain among these students to feast on.

      Report Post » Ssenkrad  
  • Rick300
    Posted on November 22, 2011 at 9:04am

    Love the “incite a riot and blame the police for trying to keep order”…Van Jones should be proud!

    It would be nice for most college students to take off their blinders and see the whole picture so they can make an educated decision intead of a misinformed and narrow minded one.

    Report Post » Rick300  
  • Anonymous T. Irrelevant
    Posted on November 22, 2011 at 9:03am

    “The protest began with some organizers from Students United for a Free CUNY, a group that believes that free education is a right.”
    —————————————————————————–
    This about sums it all up.

    Report Post » Anonymous T. Irrelevant  
  • MeMadMax
    Posted on November 22, 2011 at 9:01am

    You know, when my tuition was bumped up a few times at a city level college that I was going to, I didn’t decide to trash the place in protest….

    I just went to a different school….

    Report Post » MeMadMax  
  • Lordchamp
    Posted on November 22, 2011 at 9:01am

    Their rights overrule ours. Doesn’t everyone know and understand that? /sarcasm off

    Report Post »  
  • SmallGovBigGuns
    Posted on November 22, 2011 at 9:00am

    idiots

    Report Post »  
  • Eliasim
    Posted on November 22, 2011 at 8:59am

    Everything you are seeing is called the parting of the Red Sea, and eventually the police will choose as they become jobless, which side of the sea they are on.

    Report Post »  
    • Eliasim
      Posted on November 22, 2011 at 9:01am

      And the waters are being pushed back through-out this “Evening” we are entering.

      Report Post »  
    • Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
      Posted on November 22, 2011 at 9:02am

      Everyone will have to chose which side of the sea they are on; or get buried under the waves when God no longer holds them apart.

      Report Post » Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
    • jblovesAmerica
      Posted on November 22, 2011 at 9:36am

      yep, no Police or Fire-
      and we shall make sure when the fires start-your’s is first to burn.

      Report Post »  
    • carl_in_ohio
      Posted on November 22, 2011 at 9:57am

      put down the cool-aid, Eliasim.
      Parting of the Red Sea??? isn’t that a “religious analogy”??? not cool from your group.
      It most be sad to feel that there are two only sides…your side and the wrong side.

      the cops are just trying to help maintain sanity.
      I’m sure as soon as you have an emergency, you’ll be screaming “call 9-1-1″ and complaining because they’re taking to long.”

      Report Post »  
    • barber2
      Posted on November 22, 2011 at 10:23am

      Your comments sound like something out of the Van Jones/ International Left’s Playbook. Wrong on all counts. Just a wacky, ideological Far Left Dream book. What will really happen if this chaos continues, is a strong conservative reaction. People do NOT like anarchy. It will be stopped. Shades of Germany ‘s chaos in the 20’s and early 30′s. Be careful all of you Marxist loonies. You may learn to regret the anarchy you are now so enjoying.

      Report Post »  
  • Eliasim
    Posted on November 22, 2011 at 8:57am

    Over the next year as hyper-inflation begins to take shape and the police can no longer feed their families and cities can no longer pay them, you will see the number of police dwindling to stop these people.

    Report Post »  
  • Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
    Posted on November 22, 2011 at 8:56am

    Again we see the steady escallation of Van Jones and Obama’s tactics for the mobs — pressure, pressure, pressure until they use armed force with blood and steel on citizens and the police.

    Report Post » Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
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