Vincent Boudreau
Dear Campus Community,
I write today with a brief update on on-campus activities that have taken place over the last several days. Just before 9 a.m. on Thursday, April 25, a group of demonstrators calling themselves the “CUNY Gaza Solidarity Encampment” set up a tent encampment on our quad. Although they are sited at the CCNY campus, most of their demands are directed at the University. The demonstrators appear to be made up of students, faculty and staff from City College and across the CUNY system and a sizable contingent that is not affiliated with any CUNY campus.
We face the challenge of once more navigating the narrow space between free speech, academic freedom, and the right of our community to demonstrate (on the one hand), and our responsibility to protect our community and its activities.
We are working to minimize risks to people within the encampment and to protect all members of our campus community, while also minimizing the encampment's impact on campus operations.
Simultaneously, leadership from the University and City College began discussions with a small group of representatives from the encampment on Friday.
As we navigate the next few days together, I am asking everyone to be flexible and patient. We will provide updates when they are available and if you have any questions in the meantime, please feel free to reach out to my office or to Dee Dee Mozeleski at dmozeleski@ccny.cuny.edu .
Sincerely,
Vince Boudreau
President