Volume 78 - Number 46 / April 22 -28, 2009
West and East Village, Chelsea, Soho, Noho, Little Italy, Chinatown and Lower East Side, Since 1933

Photos by Philippe Teston

Students marched toward Washington Square Park and N.Y.U.’s Kimmel Center last Thursday after blocking Fifth Ave. outside of The New School’s 65 Fifth Ave.

Students preoccupied with protests and occupation

By Lincoln Anderson

A rally outside The New School’s building at 55 W. 13th St. last Thursday afternoon, protesting the arrest of students who had occupied 65 Fifth Ave. the previous Friday, spontaneously turned into a march through the Village that ended with three arrests.

The rally started out with speeches by both New School and New York University students bashing Bob Kerrey, The New School’s president, and the Police Department for the arrests the previous week. They then marched down Sixth Ave., blocking traffic intermittently and chanting, “Occupy everything!”

Arriving at Kerrey’s W. 11th St. townhouse, they found a small contingent of police and New School security officers standing guard. “We know where you sleep!” they yelled at the building, and “Resign! Resign!”

Circling back to 65 Fifth Ave., about 40 of them blocked traffic on Fifth Ave., interlinking arms, forming a human knot. After a brief standoff, police pulled three protesters out of the pack and arrested them, then, like a giant rugby scrum, pushed the mass of young protesters toward the avenue’s east side, “Who do you serve? Who do you protect?” the students chanted. “I don’t give a sh-t! Get on the sidewalk!” shouted Chief Chan forcefully — which worked quite effectively. Two of the arrested individuals were New School students.

A New School student was arrested after protesters completely blocked Fifth Ave. to traffic between 13th and 14th Sts.

With shouts of “Washington Square! N.Y.U.!” the protesters next marched over to N.Y.U.’s Kimmel Center, where N.Y.U. students had occupied the cafeteria two months ago. “Occupy again! Again and Again!” they chanted as they danced on Washington Square South in front of Kimmel. Police formed a line in front of the building, then, after a while, moved toward the protesters. “Ah aqui! Aqui capitalista!” (“Here are capitalists!”) the students shouted as police slowly came toward them to clear the street.

Some of the protesters continued on to the Sixth Precinct, where the arrestees were being held, before eventually dispersing.