On the morning of Friday, May 3, 45 New School students were arrested in a shocking act of authoritarianism. Students had been engaging in nonviolent protest at Bisan Hall (63 5th Ave.) and the Parsons building (2 W 13th St.) to express support for the Palestinian people when they were raided and disbanded by NYPD. The NYPD was called by the University’s Interim President Donna Shalala, who has stated, “I deeply regret having to do this, but I have asked the New York Police Department to clear the UC, Kerrey Hall, and 2 West 13th Street where the students have been demonstrating. The police issued a warning to the protesters and allowed anyone who wanted to leave to do so. Many of the protesters chose to stay.” Her words are shameful and false. Shalala and her administration refused to give written notice as promised in communications with the bargaining team. Many students were still sleeping when the police moved in to arrest them. Each student was charged for 'criminal trespassing' in buildings which are open 24/7, and which the student arrestees pay to access.

Shalala and her administration are directly responsible for unleashing violence on Black, trans, international, disabled, and other groups of vulnerable students who were assured that they were at low risk. In doing so, Shalala has acted exactly as other presidents and administrators have done at NYU, CUNY and Columbia - in service of every other vested interest and exactly opposite to the will of the students, faculty and community of the New School. Students and faculty across New York have recognized that the only moral and acceptable response in the face of such injustice is a commitment to refuse to comply with business as usual by committing to a cessation of work. This is being done on no other basis than a simple one: that in this time, and at this moment, it is the right thing to do.

The arrested students at the New School have called for an immediate, total work stoppage. This means:

1. Not engaging in any labor for The New School in any capacity, whether paid or unpaid. Including 'scabbing' or doing the work of another employee who is striking.

2. Not entering the school premises. Do not use school facilities for academic or labor purposes. This includes virtual platforms such as Canvas, and institutional communication channels such as Zoom, GChat, and email.

3. All academic workers pledging not to submit final grades at the end of this term - participating in a 'grade strike' until these demands are met. 

4. Making a promise to boycott all graduation ceremonies. 

Fill out this form to pledge to withhold your labor until the New School meets the five demands listed below. We will not share any names, courses, or identifying information of those who pledge to strike with the administration, only aggregate numbers.

I pledge to withhold my labor at the end of this semester, in response to the University’s repression, suspension, and arrests of its members.

Members across the various constituencies of the New School have mobilized all available formal means at their disposal to push back against arbitrary decisions made by the University. The administration has stalled and argued on a bad faith basis. It has systematically disregarded its faculty, student workers, and students, putting them at risk and creating hostile working conditions. With no available alternative, we are compelled to escalate.  

We can leverage our labor to have them meet our demands:

1) Divest From Death: The New School's commitment to a complete divestment from all corporations benefitting from and complicit in the ongoing genocide and apartheid against the Palestinian people, as well as full financial transparency and disclosure of the university's investments.

2) Academic Boycott: The New School's enactment of a full academic boycott of Israeli academic and cultural institutions, which are inherently complicit in the legitimization of the occupation of Palestine and oppression of the Palestinian people.

3) Amnesty for Protestors: The dismissal of academic disciplinary charges, as well that the University's criminal trespassing charges against 45 students be immediately withdrawn. 

4) Cops off Campus: The New York Police Department, including former officers Thomas Ilecito and Thomas Whalen, be permanently banned from The New School's premise and from any future arrests or inquisitions of our community members as requested by the University administration. In short, The New School must permanently end collaborative measures with the NYPD in favor of de-escalative and collective justice-oriented processes. 

5) Stipulate to NewSWU Election: The New School Administration's stipulation to a NewSWU accretion election to protect our student workers' rights.

Have questions? Read our FAQ here.

N.b. While will not reveal the names of those who have pledged, we will publicize the numbers to show off our strength! If you wish to fill out this form anonymously, you may leave everything but school and position blank.