Statement by NYU Spokesperson John Beckman about Situation on Greene St. Walkway

"On the afternoon of Friday, April 26, a group of protesters showed up on the Greene St. Walkway, and not long after erected tents, in violation of a number of rules. The University told the protesters that the tents could not stay, and the protesters took them down, a significant step towards de-escalation. This led the University to conclude there was no need for further intervention that evening.

"Although the tents were not re-erected, by Saturday morning, it was clear the protesters planned on continuing to stay overnight and had accumulated supplies and gear in violation of the rules governing the Walkway space.

"Our aim throughout has been to make progress towards a resolution.

"NYU representatives engaged in many hours of discussion over Saturday, with support from several members of the faculty, in exchange for a commitment from the students that they would leave. The students failed to honor that promise. Ultimately, no agreement was reached that day because at the 11th hour, others, including, we believe, outsiders, insisted that all demands must be met as well.

"Despite that 11th-hour reversal, we re-engaged again yesterday. By Sunday night, we presented the protesters with two options to which they were originally supposed to respond by 11:00 pm and which we extended until noon today:

"#1: The protesters agree to end the overnight stays on the Greene St. Walkway and all overnight supplies must be removed. We gave students an opportunity to leave the Walkway without consequences and to continue a dialogue with them about their concerns.

#2: If the protesters chose not to end the overnight stays, there would be no more dialogue and the University would need to move forward on conduct charges.

"The students have not responded, and they have remained at the site. Accordingly and regrettably, NYU is moving forward with disciplinary processes."