Student protesters at the Barnes Center at The Arch are planning to continue the sit-in at the center past 1 a.m. for the second consecutive night. The Department of Public Safety will not force protesters out of the center.

Marianne Thomson, dean of students, confirmed with a protester at about 11:30 p.m. that students will not face sanctions for remaining in the Barnes Center overnight.

University officials delivered conflicting messages throughout Thursday about whether students would face repercussions for continuing their demonstration past the center’s 1 a.m. closing time. 

A protester informed the crowd by about 11 p.m. that SU officials could not guarantee that students who remain in the center would not face university sanctions. DPS chief Bobby Maldonado told protesters that he wasn’t intending on kicking students out of The Arch. 

Thomson previously told students that those staying in the Barnes Center past 1 a.m. could face conduct sanctions through SU. By about 5 p.m. Thursday, Thomson told protesters DPS could escort students out of the center for remaining there past its closing time. 

Dean of Students Marianne Thomson answered students’ questions for hours on Wednesday. Will Fudge | Staff Photographer

After the 11 p.m. announcement, protesters debated whether they should relocate to another campus location to continue the sit-in. 

“We do not all have the same privileges in this space,” the protester said. Students discussed their concerns about both staying and moving. 

Several students said leaving the center would harm their movement. Part of any protest movement is facing consequences or the threat of consequences, one said. Another said relocating would mean their occupation was “having fun” until SU squashed their demands.

“If we go to Bird, where they tell us to go, we’re f*cked,” the student said. 

The protesters took a vote on whether to stay in the Barnes Center or relocate to Bird Library. No student appeared to vote in favor of moving to Bird. One protester encouraged white students at the sit-in to bring white friends to the demonstration to lessen the movement’s perceived threat.

The protest first began at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday. Students organized as #NotAgainSU, a movement led by black students. The demonstration came a week after racial slurs against black and Asian people were found written on two floors of Day Hall. 

As the sit-in continued, racist graffiti directed toward Asian people was found Wednesday night in a bathroom in the Physics Building. Sometime Thursday afternoon, a swastika was etched into snow on a property next to the 505 on Walnut, a luxury apartment complex. At 11:33 p.m., DPS sent a campus-wide email detailing another bias-related incident affecting the Asian community. 

Some protesters stayed overnight from Wednesday to Thursday, while others took shifts to attend class. The protest was originally scheduled to end at 1 a.m. Thursday when the Barnes Center closed. 

At previous points in the day, students considered relocating to another space. They gained permission from Cory Wallack, interim executive director of health and wellness, to continue their protest after 1 p.m. on Friday. DPS also confirmed that it would not remove students from the building, said Tayla Myree, an SU senior at the sit-in. 

Protesters will continue the sit-in until demands are met, said Kai Wright, a sophomore, in a statement to media around 1:50 p.m. on Thursday. Students will not recognize the demands as met until they receive administrators’ solutions in writing, Wright said.

Any student who would like to stay at the Barnes Center throughout the night has to be back in the center before 1 a.m. on Friday. The building’s doors will lock at 1 a.m., and students will not be allowed to enter the building or return to it if they leave, protesters said. 

SU’s Code of Student Conduct states that students have the right to assemble in an orderly manner and engage in peaceful protest, demonstration and picketing. The right remains as long as the efforts do not disrupt university functions, threaten people’s health or safety or violate the Code of Student Conduct. 

The university lists 19 behaviors that are considered violations of the Code of Student Conduct. A protester at the event listed 10 possible violations that could be applied to them if they decided to stay. 

A person cannot participate in unauthorized entry, use or occupation of SU facilities when they are locked, closed or restricted to use, according to the Code of Student Conduct. Students also cannot intentionally disrupt or obstruct SU or its members who are participating in lawful activities, including their right to assemble and peacefully protest. 

Students can also be found in violation of the code of conduct if they refuse to comply with directions of university officials who are acting lawfully within their university roles. 

The policy on access to and use of university premises and equipment states that people found on SU property with authorization will be asked to leave. Failure to do so could result in disciplinary or legal action.

Students found to be in violation of the code of conduct will first face an informal resolution with a conduct officer from the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities. If the complaints against the student are found accurate, the student could go to a formal hearing in front of the University Conduct Board if they don’t accept responsibility or sanctioning. 

Maldonado and Rob Hradsky, vice president for the student experience, arrived at the sit-in around 8:30 p.m. on Thursday. They went into a private conference room, where university officials and campus police were also present. Cory Wallack,  SU’s interim executive director of health and wellness, was in the room. 

Speaking into a megaphone, senior Jett Cloud alerted the crowd that “there’s been a trend” of DPS officers in plain clothes speaking to people. He urged the students that, if they speak with police, to have the interaction recorded and to have a witness present.

“We did it last night,” one protester said of spending the night at the Barnes Center. “We succeeded. We can do it again.”

Published on November 14, 2019 at 11:59 pm

Contact India: irmiragl@syr.edu