Q&A
Clarification on $3 million damage to CUNY building and identity of perpetrators
1:51:10
·
117 sec
Council Member Kalman Yeger seeks clarification from CUNY Chancellor Felix Matos Rodriguez about a $3 million damage incident at a CUNY building. The Chancellor confirms that, to the best of their knowledge, none of the individuals involved in the damage were CUNY students.
- The damage occurred when people broke into a CUNY building during a large encampment protest.
- CUNY public safety officers pushed out the intruders and arrested some individuals.
- The arrested individuals were handed over to the NYPD and the DA for processing.
- Upon review, it was found that those who entered the building were not CUNY students.
Kalman Yeger
1:51:10
Thank you.
1:51:10
Just just to clarify I know I'm the 3rd member to ask this question, but just to clarify.
1:51:15
$3,000,000 of damage to a CUNY building was done.
1:51:19
Right?
1:51:20
And the people who did this, not a single one of them was a student at CUNY?
Felix Matos Rodriguez
1:51:27
So the the people that were part of the to the in in who went into the building, to the best of our knowledge, now.
Kalman Yeger
1:51:35
You have a security problem.
1:51:37
Right?
1:51:37
Were they faculty?
Felix Matos Rodriguez
1:51:38
Well, they were I mean, at that point, they were part of a large encampment.
1:51:41
So that many of them were not
Kalman Yeger
1:51:43
So did you let anybody onto your campuses just go do whatever they want?
Felix Matos Rodriguez
1:51:46
No.
1:51:47
We don't.
1:51:47
And that's why we called in the the police to clear the encampment.
Kalman Yeger
1:51:51
The the solution is after they've done the damage,
Felix Matos Rodriguez
1:51:55
calling cops?
Kalman Yeger
1:51:57
It's private property.
1:51:59
As the vice chancellor testified, presence on a chance one second.
1:52:02
I'm sorry.
1:52:02
Excuse me.
1:52:03
As the vice chancellor testified, presence on on a CUNY campus is a privilege, not a right.
Derek Davis
1:52:09
That doesn't And It's not private property.
1:52:11
What I meant by
Samuel “Peter” Panuccio
1:52:12
that But it is private property.
Eric Dinowitz
1:52:13
It's government property.
1:52:15
I'm sorry.
1:52:15
I'm sorry.
1:52:16
All So we council member Yeager, just make sure that your microphone's on if you're testifying, if you're sharing any information so that it could be heard for the record.
1:52:24
Thank you.
Kalman Yeger
1:52:24
It it's it's private property in the sense that it's owned by a government entity.
1:52:29
It's not a street.
1:52:30
In other words, you can't just walk on it because you feel like it.
1:52:33
Otherwise, anybody can go anywhere.
1:52:35
So it's not private property in the sense that it's owned by an individual for sure, but it's college property.
Felix Matos Rodriguez
1:52:40
Right?
1:52:40
So the so the property was broken when they broke into the building.
1:52:45
At that point, our public safety officers, pushed them out, arrested some of the individuals who went in.
1:52:52
Right?
1:52:53
And then they handed over to the NYPD and the DA for processing.
1:52:57
The individuals who went in, upon further review, were not CUNY students.
Kalman Yeger
1:53:02
Not a single one of them?
Felix Matos Rodriguez
1:53:03
That's the best of my recollection.
1:53:05
I can get you the listing.
Kalman Yeger
1:53:06
Unbelievable.
