CCNY students stage walk-out in support of Palestine
Photo: Students protesting “CUNY’s complicity in the genocide” at the NAC Sundial//Leon Orlov-Sullivan for The Campus Magazine
Kaitlyn Murphy and Leon Orlov-Sullivan
On Tuesday, October 7th, at 1:30p.m., dozens of students at City College participated in a walk-out in front of the NAC protesting what CUNY4Palestine described as “CUNY’s complicity in the genocide.”
As students walked to 2p.m. classes, those protesting chanted “two years of genocide, leave your class and come outside” and held banners reading “no schools left in Gaza,” “CUNY funds/Gaza bleeds,” and “Glory to our martyrs/Victory to the resistance.” One CCNY student in attendance at the protest, who spoke under the condition of anonymity, told The Campus, “I came out here today because we've literally spent the last two years experiencing what can only be described as genocide.”
Protestors also decried CUNY and City College administration's reaction to student protests. Standing on the raised sundial in the NAC plaza, speakers referred to Public Safety’s use of pepper spray at previous demonstrations and alleged retribution against student activists. The protestor The Campus spoke with said, “I'm wearing a mask to protect myself and others from Public Safety.” In a statement to The Campus, President Vincent Boudreau said, “Our public safety office reported a peaceful protest that adhered to our standards for campus expression.”
The walk-out was part of a larger action across CUNY campuses with student groups at other colleges. After the rally at City College, protestors made their way down Amsterdam Avenue before joining a larger demonstration. After forming a contingent at CUNY Central on 42nd Street with groups from other CUNY schools, protestors joined a rally organized by the pro-Palestinian group Within Our Lifetime.
Photo: CCNY Students walking down Amsterdam Ave to join other CUNY students at CUNY Central // Leon Orlov-Sullivan for The Campus Magazine
Of particular interest to those at the walk-out was transparency from CUNY Administration regarding financial ties to Israel. Protestors chanted “Disclose, divest, we will not stop, we will not rest,” a refrain often heard at pro-Palestinian protests at City College. In August, a state judge ruled that CUNY cannot withhold records regarding its investments in a lawsuit brought on behalf of CUNY4Palestine. Sarah Southey, a plaintiff in the case, described the result as “a huge win for institutional transparency, accountability, and CUNY4Palestine’s campaign demanding CUNY divest from Israel.” Speaking with Inside Higher Ed in August, a CUNY spokesperson said, “The University is reviewing the court’s decision, its legal options and possible next steps.”
