#NotAgainSU disrupted a lunch for Syracuse University donors Saturday to urge Chancellor Kent Syverud to negotiate with the movement. 

#NotAgainSU, a movement led by Black students, has occupied Crouse-Hinds Hall since Feb. 17 in response to a string of at least 30 bias-related incidents that have occurred on or near SU’s campus since early November. 

The movement presented Chancellor Kent Syverud with 19 demands in November to meet in response to the incidents. Syverud signed 16 as written and revised the remaining three. #NotAgainSU has added 16 demands since it began its occupation of Crouse-Hinds.

SU officials and #NotAgainSU organizers gathered Thursday to plan negotiations on the movement’s additional demands. #NotAgainSU expressed concern that Syverud would not be at the negotiations, scheduled to begin Monday. University officials said they’d work to ensure the chancellor attends.

#NotAgainSU received advance notice that Syverud would attend the Saturday lunch, the movement said in a Twitter post. Syverud was present at the lunch, but didn’t address any students directly, an organizer said. 

“We will not leave until you are (at the meeting), and so is the executive board of trustees,” an organizer said during the lunch.

Syverud hosted a group of SU parents at Eggers Hall on Saturday, said Sarah Scalese, senior associate vice president for university communications, in a statement. During the gathering, the group of student protesters arrived and spoke about their concerns for a few minutes, Scalese said.

At no time was anyone barred or prevented from entering the event, Scalese said.

#NotAgainSU protesters had announced intentions to negotiate with SU officials and executive members of the Board of Trustees Wednesday at 4 pm. No such meeting was ever planned for Wednesday, Scalese said in a statement Wednesday. 

#NotAgainSU organizers who spoke at the lunch urged the donors to read about the racist incidents at SU and visit the Crouse-Hinds occupation. Organizers also explained what conditions were like inside Crouse-Hinds when the Department of Public Safety sealed the building off from Feb. 18 to Feb. 19.

Outside food and medicine were unable to enter the building while it was sealed off. University officials provided lunch and dinner to the protesters Feb. 18 and breakfast Feb. 19. Organizers were allowed to leave the building at any time, university officials have said. 

“There was thirty-one people inside the building who didn’t eat for three days,” an organizer said. “Who didn’t get to have water, who couldn’t use hygiene products, because they didn’t allow it inside.”

#NotAgainSU continues to call for the resignations of Syverud and three other university officials. The movement’s occupation of Crouse-Hinds will continue until its demands are met. 

“We’ve been here for two weeks and you’ve been avoiding us,” another protester said. 

Published on February 29, 2020 at 10:28 pm

Contact Maggie: mehicks@syr.edu | @maggie_hickss