Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Cops Arrest New School Students at Police Brutality Protest
By
John Del Signore
Published Apr 17, 2009
Modified Apr 17, 2009
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
John Del Signore
Published Apr 17, 2009
Modified Apr 17, 2009
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Two New School students and one academically unaffiliated protester were arrested last night for blocking traffic on Fifth Avenue during a demonstration against police handling of last week's occupation of a university building. According to the New School Free Press, about 150 students, faculty, and supporters gathered outside the site of the occupation around 6 p.m. to condemn the NYPD and, once again, demand the resignation of president Bob Kerrey, who protesters blame for encouraging what they're calling a "brutal" and "violent" end to Friday's sit-in.
After some speeches and chanting, the group proceeded to Kerrey's house on West 11th Street for some more chanting, then advanced to the site of last December's occupation at 65 Fifth Avenue. The Free Press reports that police were trying to get students onto the sidewalk because they were blocking traffic, and that's when the arrests were made. Angered, the protesters proceeded down Fifth Avenue, some sending a hardcore Message to the Man by "kicking garbage bags and orange cones into the middle of the street."
Then the unthinkable happened: The New School occupiers joined forces with the Take Back NYU occupiers, forging a united front of Keffiyah scarf solidarity outside the Kimmel Center, some 60 malcontents strong. And as if that wasn't badass enough, mayoral candidate and ubiquitous gadfly Reverend Billy was on the scene; in a speech to the crowd, he strongly condemned the "corporatization of the two schools."
After he was done, the 30 remaining New School students wandered off through Washington Square Park toward the Sixth Precinct to demand the release of their comrades. But along the way, an argument broke out between the protesters and NYU students playing whiffleball. One of the complacent bourgeois ball-playing sheep told the Washington Square News, "We were just playing. And they said we’re wasting our money going to NYU." (More photos here.)
Tagged
arrest
new school
nypd
police brutality
protest
students
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Early Addition: New Jersey considering a ban on chewing gum because of microplastics
Because New Jersey is just trying to keep its people safe, here are your early links: Early voters get a spooky sticker, Tom Hanks returning to Broadway, a time capsule letter to the NYC mayor in 2026 and more.
By
James Ramsay
Published Oct 23, 2026 at 8:48 a.m. ET
Queens mother charged with murdering her son after failed suicide attempt, NYPD says
Sukken Wong, 62, allegedly stabbed her nonverbal son, Byran Wong, 25, to death.
By
Brittany Kriegstein
News
Queens mother charged with murdering her son after failed suicide attempt, NYPD says
Sukken Wong, 62, allegedly stabbed her nonverbal son, Byran Wong, 25, to death.
By
Brittany Kriegstein
Your guide to voting in New York's 2026 elections for governor and Congress
By
Walter Wuthmann
,
Jon Campbell
and
Brigid Bergin
Forest Hills Stadium can keep its concerts under deal with neighbors
By
Ryan Kost
NYC Council to grill Mamdani officials on collapsed Hunts Point Produce Market deal
By
Elizabeth Kim
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .