NYU Reportedly Drops Charges Against Protesters Arrested at Gould Plaza

NYU dropped criminal charges against all protesters arrested at the Gaza Solidarity Encampment in Gould Plaza, including students and faculty, a member of the university’s chapter of the American Association of University Professors told WSN.

Steinhardt Professor Paula Chakravartty, vice president of the NYU AAUP, did not provide details about the charges the protesters faced. Chakravartty said the organization’s members “appreciate the news” but “remain extremely concerned” about reports from NYU administration and President Linda Mills about the camp. She also said that the AAUP supports student activists who are calling for “an amnesty from university disciplinary action” for all students involved in the Gould Plaza demonstration, as well as previous and ongoing pro-Palestinian protests on campus.

“We have heard from the attorneys representing all those arrested on April 22 that the criminal charges have been dropped, which is good news,” Chakravartty wrote in a statement. “But of course no one should have been arrested at all.”

Although the university said the New York City Police Department arrested 133 protesters At Gould Plaza – including 65 current students and faculty – a legal representative for the students and faculty told WSN that 136 protesters were arrested. The representative said of those protesters, 40 were students, 26 faculty and staff, 13 alumni, at least three community members who attended the NYU Islamic Center, and the rest were non-NYU members.

Since the encampment at Gould Plaza three weeks ago, groups on campus have made repeated calls for NYU to divest from companies with ties to Israel, close its Tel Aviv study site, remove police from campus and lock down students and faculty forgive if they face disciplinary action for their participation in demonstrations. The University has said It is not considering disinvestment from Israel and has rejected repeated calls to end its Tel Aviv program.

NYU reportedly started disciplinary hearings for students involved in recent pro-Palestinian demonstrations on campus last week, although the NYU Palestine Solidarity Coalition did not say how many students were accused of misconduct or what university policies they were accused of. More recently, Nine students were suspended and two subsequently received persona non grata status a demonstration in the Bobst Library on Friday, according to NYU PSC.

The NYU Alumni for Justice in Palestine group, which represents over 3,000 alumni, said previously It would provide legal assistance to any student, faculty or other university member who attended the Gould Plaza encampment.

Since October, NYU has reviewed more than 160 behavioral cases “related to current concerns,” many of which administrators said involved unidentifiable or unrelated individuals. There were two professors Suspended earlier this semester after recently commenting on Israel’s ongoing siege of the Gaza Strip and the university fired a postdoc after footage emerged online of him taking down Hamas hostage-taking posters. Last fall, a student was suspended after putting up hostage posters is now suing NYU for allegedly misapplying the Code of Conduct to her case.

“As we have stated numerous times over the past few months, students should not be punished for anti-war protests on our campus, and pro-Palestinian speech and civic activity on campus should be protected,” Chakravartty wrote.

An NYU spokesman and legal representatives did not respond to requests for comment.

Krish Dev contributed reporting.

Contact Yezen Saadah at (email protected).