Hundreds Gather to Support N.Y.U. Protest

Common Dreams - Hundreds of people gathered outside the New York University student center early Friday in support of protesters who had been barricaded in the building's cafeteria for more than 24 hours and who had ignored the university's 1 a.m. deadline to end the demonstration.

The students vowed to continue the occupation of the cafeteria until they were able to present a list of demands to school administrators. The demands included thorough annual reporting of the university's operating budget, expenditures and endowment. They also want the university to provide 13 scholarships a year to students from the Gaza Strip and to give surplus supplies to Hundreds of people gathered outside the New York University student center early Friday in support of protesters who had been barricaded in the building's cafeteria for more than 24 hours and who had ignored the university's 1 a.m. deadline to end the demonstration.the Islamic University of Gaza.

The students also called on the school to allow graduate teaching assistants to unionize and to freeze tuition.

On Thursday, a university spokesman said the two sides had been unable to arrange a meeting. John Beckman, the spokesman, said, "Regrettably, the students rejected our offer of dialogue, insisting on remaining in the room and setting a number of preconditions."

By 1 a.m. on Friday, about 300 people had gathered in front of the student center, and hundreds more looked on from nearby sidewalks and from Washington Square. Some of them chanted and banged on drums to show their support.

A group of a few dozen people stood nearby wearing bandannas across the lower half of their faces. They linked arms and held a black banner inscribed with the single word "Resist."

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