After a day of peaceful protesting in the middle of Marsh Plaza on Tuesday, about 25 Boston University students set up an overnight encampment at about 10:30 p.m. as part of the “Occupy Marsh Plaza” protest, a contingent of Occupy Boston.
“We’re using this tactic as a wildcat occupation to show student power, to show that we are powerful and that we can occupy space in our university and to use this to propel a conversation forward that’s going to overtake the university, hopefully with a broad general assembly involving all of these other groups to put forth a giant platform with lasting change at this school,” said one protester, a graduate student in the College of Arts and Sciences who asked to be anonymous.
During the day, protesters played musical instruments and passed out fliers endorsing the Occupy movement throughout the afternoon.
College of Communication sophomore Maria Rusche, who was passing by Marsh, said she supports the movement and finds it disappointing that the discourse regarding Occupy is of little importance to the BU population.
“Students should have so much stock in these issues because many of these issues directly affect students. Like the unbelievable cost of higher education makes me want to throw up,” Rusche said. “It really does make me sick how much my family is paying for me to go to school here.”
“Some people say that it’s because we’re young, we’re not that engaged in politics, but [students in the 1960s] were,” she added. “What is going to make us care?”
At about 3 p.m., BU Police Department Sergeant Jeffrey Burke warned protesters from setting up an encampment such as the one in the Dewey Square. Burke told the protesters that they would have to move to the public sidewalk if they wanted to hand out leaflets, carry signs or play music.
Protesters then left Marsh Plaza around 5:30 p.m. and returned around 9 p.m. to hold a general assembly, in which they discussed legal and tactical issues regarding their encampment.
“[BUPD’s] argument is that even though we are paying students, [Marsh Plaza] is private property so we’re not allowed on it, which is bulls—, and I think we should make that very clear,” the anonymous protester said during the general assembly.
“We don’t make up excuses for why we’re here,” he said. “We’re here because this is our campus, we’re paying for it, we have a right to be here at all times and that we’re making a political statement right next to the statue of Martin Luther King.”
Student Union member James Boggie, a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences, said he attended the protest because he was trying to act as a mediator between students and police and that he hoped to ensure BUPD that the students would not set up a camp.
Boggie said his comments are his and do not represent Union opinion, but that Union wants to make sure that there is mutual understanding between both sides.
Union does not endorse either side, Boggie said, but Union’s job is to represent all students and operate as a “window” between students and the authorities.
Protester Derin Sevenler, a College of Engineering graduate student studying biomedical engineering, said he thinks it is important for students to show their activism publicly, so others can see where students stand on issues that are important to the community.
“I think that if we don’t do things like this, that it might just be assumed that we are agreeing, we are consenting to the decisions that are being made by those in charge, so it’s important to display our opinions publicly,” he said.
ENG freshman John Griese, who was also protesting, said one of the reasons he decided to occupy Marsh Plaza early Wednesday morning was because of the rising cost of tuition.
“I’d like to see a little transparency in where our funds go in BU,” Griese said. “I couldn’t help but notice seeing the president’s awesome penthouse at the top of [the School of Management], and if I’m paying for that, I’d like to know how much money is going toward that and how much is actually going toward my education.”
As of 12:30 a.m. Wednesday morning, the occupation continued peacefully without police presence.
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Should have picked BU Beach, much better to camp on soft ground, than a hard plaza.
rich BU kids must have it so hard in life. I support Occupy as a young laborer who couldn’t afford college.
I am also a supporter of Occupy who could not afford college. That being said, your prejudice is silly. Not all people who go to school are on their parent’s dime. And some that are, are lucky to have parents that work hard to send them there or don’t have to work hard to send them there.
That doesn’t mean that life will be any easier for them when they leave school. And as far as I am concerned, and many others that I spend time with at Dewey, this movement is all inclusive. It takes a lot of people with many different voices to make a dent in the way things are run. Who are you to undermine these kids who are honestly taking a stand and making their voices heard.
At the very least, they will leave school and go out into the world, some into jobs – others not , and will take a piece of this with them.