NYU students deliver petition demanding a sanctuary campus

New York, NY – On February 20, over 30 NYU students and faculty gathered near Garibaldi Plaza during a rainy day to demand NYU become a sanctuary campus.

The rally was organized by the Students for a Democratic Society chapter at NYU (NYU SDS) with a dozen other student organizations endorsing the action.

The goal of the rally was to deliver NYU SDS’s sanctuary campus campaign petition. The petition stated demands to provide extra protections for students from ICE. First is the implementation of an ICE alert system to notify students of ICE presence around campus. Second is the establishment of an online option in the event of ICE presence around campus, to allow students to continue their education without having to come to campus in fear of their safety. Last is a public pledge from the university administration to provide resources to protect students from ICE. The campaign petition, which was launched on January 28, had accumulated over 650 signatures by the time of the delivery.

Attendees held up a banner stating “Make NYU a sanctuary campus! No ICE on campus!” Other students held up signs stating, “ICE off campus!” and “Sanctuary campus now!” The protesters chanted, “No hate, no fear, immigrants are welcome here!” Several people walking by the rally showed enthusiastic support by pumping their fists, joining in chants as they walked along, or even stopping for a moment to take photos and videos of the action.

Oko Kanginan, member of NYU SDS stated, “We demand that NYU implement an ICE alert system similar to the existing campus safety alert system, establish procedures to move classes online in the case ICE is present near our campus, and most importantly, ensure Linda Mills and the administration pledge to use university resources to defend international, undocumented and vulnerable students from ICE. We are entitled to the right to free speech, the right to protest, and equal protection under the law, and no one, including our pedophile, rapist, and racist president, can deny them.”

The first speaker of the action was JJ Briscoe from Get Free NYC, who provide an analysis of the current moment of U.S. politics.

Christiana Garcia, the president of the Phi chapter of Hermandad de Sigma Iota Alpha at NYU stated, “I hope that what everyone takes away from this experience today is that rain or shine we will continue to speak up and show out. You are not alone in your anger and frustration. Our communities thrive off one another and we will not stop until these injustices do because love always wins. Lo único más poderoso que el odio, es el amor. The only thing more powerful than hate is love.”

The next speakers were Kailia Garfield and Tapuwanashe Hightower representing the Young Democratic Socialists of America at NYU.

After speeches, protesters gathered for a march towards Bobst Library, where a designated member of SDS, Ebtesham Ahmed, was going to deliver the petition to the administration. While marching, protesters chanted, “One, we are the students! Two, we won’t stop fighting! Three, ICE off our campus now, now, now, now!” and “From Palestine to Mexico, all these walls have got to go!”

Protesters gathered in front of the library, continuing to chant as the petition was delivered. Ebtesham Ahmed delivered the petition to Ariel Ennis, senior advisor for Presidential Priorities and Initiatives at NYU who was there on behalf of the president’s office at NYU. As they handed over the petition, Ahmed stated how over 600 students, faculty and community members signed the petition to the administration, demanding more protections for the NYU community from ICE. In addition, they pointed to a letter addressed to the president’s office from NYU SDS stating the campaign’s demands.

After returning to the crowd, Ahmed led the crowd to recite the letter out loud – to demonstrate that this is a collective call from the community. The letter went over the context behind why students at NYU were angry at the lack of protections from ICE, the demands from the sanctuary campus campaign, and why the administration should follow through on these demands. To end off, Ahmed had the crowd repeat “The power of the people is greater than the people in power”

Kanginan urged the crowd to continue organizing beyond this action – to join one of the many organizations present at the rally. “Dare to struggle! Dare to win!”

#NY #NewYorkNY #StudentMovement #ImmigrantRights