Dear Parents, Guardians, and Loved Ones of NYU Students,
By now you will most likely have heard of the protest that took place in the plaza in front of our business school on Monday and its aftermath. We are writing to provide you with the background and update you directly on campus conditions.
Early Monday morning, some 50-70 protesters showed up with tents on the plaza in front of the business school, known as Gould Plaza. This occurred without notice to the University, and without authorization, and the protesters proceeded without heeding the direction of Campus Safety Officers to stop. Similar kinds of protests have been occurring at colleges and universities across the country.
In response, the University immediately closed access to the plaza to maintain safety; we put barriers in place, and made clear that we were not going to allow additional protesters to join. At that point, we made no move to clear the plaza because high among the University's aims was to avoid any escalation or violence.
In the early afternoon on Monday, there was a new development. Several dozen additional protesters — many of whom we believe are not affiliated with the University — suddenly breached the barriers that had been put in place at the main entrance of the plaza and joined the others already on the plaza. The breach was in violation of directions from Campus Safety Officers and in violation of multiple University rules.
This development dramatically changed the situation. With that breach, we witnessed a significant increase in disorderly, disruptive, and antagonizing behavior that interfered with the safety and security of our community. It also illustrated how quickly a demonstration can get out of control, raising the possibility of people getting hurt.
Not long after the breach occurred, we explained to the protesters that they needed to disband and leave the plaza; if they did so peacefully and voluntarily, we explained, there would be no adverse consequences. We initially gave them until 4:00 pm.
We soon learned that there were also reports of intimidating chants and of antisemitic incidents. Given the foregoing and the safety issues raised by the breach, the University asked for assistance from the NYPD. The police repeatedly urged those on the plaza to leave peacefully; they, too, were ignored. Ultimately, the police moved forward to restore order and they made a number of arrests. As the crowd dispersed, we also took other precautions that evening to secure buildings around the area of the park in order to ensure our community’s safety.
While academic freedom and the free exchange of ideas are and always will be bedrock principles on NYU’s campus, hate, disruption, and intimidation can never be countenanced. We do not believe that the opportunity to express oneself is incompatible with our longstanding rules governing conduct, which include when, where, and how demonstrations can unfold on our campus, as well as rules about safety, security, and the right for every student to live and learn in peace.
Since the incident on Monday, classes have been proceeding as normal. There was a demonstration in Washington Square Park yesterday, which is typical. For the most part, things are quiet on campus, though we remain very attentive to the prospect of new developments.
We appreciate the trust you place in us to educate your NYU student. Please know that we are committed to a safe climate for teaching and learning and to your student’s academic progress.
We will be in touch with you about additional developments.
Sincerely,
