Cooper Union Students Stage Lock-In To Save Tuition-Free Education
Channel: OccupyPublicAccessTV
Date: 2012-12-22

New York's last free college is in danger of losing that status. Administration at Cooper Union plan to impose tuition for the first time in the college's 153-year history. On Monday, December 3rd, students staged a protest during which twelve students locked themselves in the building's clock tower. They announced their presence by dropping a banner which blocked the window of the president's office below. The lock-in lasted seven days during which the banner remained in place.

Many groups expressed support for the students, including the OWS-affiliated Strike Debt. Protesters adopted the color red to symbolize the connection between their struggle and the wider issues of student loans and other forms of debt. On Saturday, December 8th, we joined them for a march and rally.

Cooper Union administration has announced no punitive action will be taken against the students. In a minor concession to one of the students' demands, a student representative will be allowed to attend administrative meetings. However, the plan to impose tuition has not been scrapped. 

Taped by Atiq Zabinski, edited by Resa Sunshine and Atiq Zabinski.

Short link to this video: http://bit.ly/OPATV-0209-Cooper

Next: New Yorkers Rally and Picket to Organize Unskilled Labor
http://bit.ly/OPATV-0209-Labor
Hundreds Rally Against Spectra Fracked Gas Pipeline Construction
http://bit.ly/OPATV-0209-Spectra

Earlier in this episode:
Intro: http://bit.ly/OPATV-0209-Play
Occupy LA Defends the Lucero Family from Fraudulent Foreclosure 
http://bit.ly/OPATV-0209-Lucero
Occupy Our Homes Erects Tent Inside Hollywood Wells Fargo Office 
http://bit.ly/OPATV-0209-WellsFargo

Watch entire episode as a single video: http://bit.ly/OPATV-0209