#NotAgainSU disrupted a meeting with an independent panel on Sunday to urge Syracuse University administration to continue negotiations.

#NotAgainSU, a movement led by Black students, is occupying Crouse-Hinds Hall to protest SU’s response to at least 31 hate incidents that have occurred at or near Main Campus since November. Negotiations with university officials on the movement’s revised demands ended Friday without a resolution.

Organizers interrupted the Independent Advisory Panel’s meeting in the main lounge of Ernie Davis Hall on Sunday evening. The panel of four independent experts is reviewing campus climate, diversity and inclusion at SU with a Board of Trustees special committee. The committee and panel formed in response to the hate incidents.

Protesters asked the panel to advise SU administration to continue meeting with students.

“We have shown throughout this whole process that we are very willing to negotiate. The university has not shown that same good faith,” an organizer said. “We are asking that, in your talk with the administration, you advise them to continue meeting with us, because they walked away from the table.”

The panel said they were unaware that #NotAgainSU felt treated this way and invited students to stay and further express their concerns.

Organizers told the panel that they were denied outside food, medical supplies and basic hygiene products during their occupation of Crouse-Hinds. The Department of Public Safety sealed off the building Feb. 18, preventing outside food and medicine from entering until the afternoon of Feb. 19.

SU provided lunch and dinner to protesters Feb. 18 and breakfast Feb. 19. Officials said students were free to leave Crouse-Hinds at any time.

Protesters felt they would face immediate arrest if they left the building because of their suspensions, an organizer said.

At least 30 #NotAgainSU organizers inside Crouse-Hinds were placed under interim suspension for remaining in the building past closing Feb. 17. SU lifted the suspensions a day later. Failure to obtain approval before entering university property would result in “immediate arrest for trespassing,” the suspension letters said.

#NotAgainSU is demanding public acknowledgement from the university of its treatment of protesters on Feb. 18 and Feb. 19. Syverud said in a statement read to organizers Friday that he already apologized to protesters both in person and at a University Senate meeting.

Organizers said the chancellor’s apology was not directed at them and did not acknowledge the university’s treatment of protesters. They also said they were frustrated that Syverud did not attend the negotiation meetings himself. Syverud was coordinating the university’s response to the coronavirus outbreak at that time.

“The most pressing thing for us now is the acknowledgement of what happened here,” an organizer said.

Organizers also expressed concerns about the renovations to Schine Student Center.

The renovated Schine will feature a centralized space to house the Office of Multicultural Affairs, the Disability Cultural Center and the LGBT Resource Center. An organizer said having all those offices in such a public space will make students feel uncomfortable and unable to have a private conversation.

“To me (this) speaks to the university’s tendency to shove all the minority and marginalized populations together and make it difficult for them to access resources that they need,” an organizer said.

Organizers told panel members they hope to see them again tomorrow. #NotAgainSU told administrators after Friday’s negotiations that they would be available to meet again at 4 p.m. on Monday.

“Right now, our biggest recommendation for the university is to continue meeting with student protesters,” an organizer said.

Published on March 9, 2020 at 12:28 am

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