Scores of faculty members, staff and students gathered in front of Day Hall on Tuesday to scold the Cornell administration for its Interim Expressive Activity Policy.
Announced on Jan. 24, the interim policy, which enacted limits on the time, manner and place of campus protests, has faced fierce criticism from students and faculty alike.
Tuesday’s demonstration fell just a day after the University relaxed policies regarding event registration, the use of open flames and postering. The administration also stated that the final policy would be decided after consulting faculty, students and staff.
Prof. Alexander Livingston, government, speaking to the crowd of nearly 200, described the protest as an act of open defiance towards the “sloppy and mistaken” interim policies.
Prof. Shannon Gleeson, industrial and labor relations, emphasized in her speech that academics face the consequences of administrative actions as employees of Cornell.
“Those here with tenure have a special responsibility to speak out,” Gleeson said. “We are doing what I study [in ILR]. … I want to remind everyone that we are scholars — faculty and grads — but we are also workers. These are our bosses, not only our colleagues and deans and provosts and presidents.”
As passing cars honked in support, fliers were handed out calling for faculty to speak out at Wednesday’s Faculty Senate meeting and encouraging departmental statements opposing the interim policy. Also handed out was an open letter to students penned by the core faculty of the Department of Anthropology.
“Even though the policy is ‘interim,’ its punitive character has had a chilling effect across our campus,” the letter reads.
Throughout the protest, demonstrators chanted, “The more they try to silence us, the louder we will be” and “shame, Martha, shame!”
Prof. Emeritus Paul Sawyer, English, spoke to protestors about the historical position of universities as safe havens for different viewpoints –– underscoring the role campuses played in Vietnam War protests.
“Universities are still a place for alternative points of view, where truth can always be spoken to power,” Sawyer said. “As we saw in the Vietnam War era, it requires public disturbance.”
Gleeson also affirmed the importance of protecting faculty members’ academic freedom.
“These policies should be a concern to all of us, because one day it could be our face paraded on the side of a truck through campus,” Gleeson said.
A digital billboard on the side of a truck displayed an image of Prof. Russell Rickford, history, along with calls for his firing after he stated that he was “exhilarated” by Hamas’ initial Oct. 7 attack on Israel at an Oct. 15 off-campus rally.
Livingston criticized what he considered the administration’s failure to engage in good-faith dialogue.
“I am disappointed with the administration for putting all of us in this position,” Livingston told the crowd, citing the administration’s lack of responsiveness. “I have no choice but to come protest outside of Day Hall in order to have our concerns heard.
Nathan Sitaraman M.S. ’18 Ph.D. ’22, a current postdoctoral associate, was part of the crowd outside Day Hall. Sitaraman asserted that University affiliates need to speak out against the administrative policies they disagree with to truly achieve change.
“People like me don’t really have a formal way to influence University operations or policy,” Sitaraman said. “Power concedes nothing without an ask.”