Members of NRT have reached out to Bwog to inform us of their plans to continue their efforts from last night this morning at 11:30. Read the full release below.
COLUMBIA STUDENTS PROTEST SEXUAL ASSAULT
What: Columbia students continue their protests of the University’s handling of sexual and dating violence by dropping banners of prominent campus buildings as hundreds of prospective students watch. The group No Red Tape is demanding that Columbia improve their adjudication process, issue harsher sanctions for rapists and abusers, expand their prevention education and provide more resources to survivors. This protest was a part of the national day of action organized by the Carry That Weight campaign where student groups at schools across the country are demanding action and improved policies from their administrations. The campaign was inspired by the activism and art of Emma Sulkowicz, who is boldly carrying the mattress from her dorm room as long as her rapist continues to attend Columbia University. Through this powerful demonstration of student power and solidarity, students will tangibly express their commitment to lift the burden of sexual and dating violence from the shoulders of survivors alone and pressure their college administrations to help carry that weight.
Who: No Red Tape is a student-led organization working to end sexual and domestic violence on Columbia’s campus through direct action. We are a part of the Carry That Weight campaign which is organized by Carry That Weight and the United States Student Association.
Where: The rally will be held on Low Plaza on Columbia’s campus. Low is accessible via College Walk which can be entered on W 116th St at Broadway or Amsterdam.
When: April 13, 2015 at 11:30am
Follow the conversation on twitter: #carrythatweight
Update, 4:14 PM: NRT released an additional press release this afternoon in regards to their greater activity these past couple of days. You can read it below.
No Red Tape Days on Campus Action Press Release
On April 12, 2015, No Red Tape interrupted a family information session for admitted students to inform them about Columbia University’s dangerously inadequate Gender-Based Misconduct Policy. That night, No Red Tape also projected messages onto the facade of Low Library to shed light on the prevalence of gender-based violence on Columbia’s campus.
We believe prospective students have a right to know that Columbia’s gender-based misconduct policy ensures unfair and retraumatizing adjudication processes, and the continued presence of rapists on campus. Too many of us have already been hurt by unjust policies that fail to address the issue of sexual and domestic violence. Under the current policy, Columbia punishes rapists and abuser with a mere slap on the wrist, most commonly a 1 semester suspension. Perpetrators of violence are allowed to return to campus in good standing without meaningful sanctioning or re-education, and hold positions of power as orientation leaders and resident advisors. Deans with no training or expertise in the issues of sexual and domestic violence are given the authority of sanctioning in cases of gender-based misconduct, and survivors are left without adequate resources or support systems. Prospective students and their families deserve to know that under Columbia’s policy, even their Days on Campus host could be a student who was found responsible for gender-based violence.
Columbia has threatened us with disciplinary action in the past for sharing this information with prospective students, and they continually attempt to silence us. During the night, a university employee attempted to obstruct the projection, despite the commitment of public safety officers to uphold our right to peaceful demonstration. However, we continued to project our message and educate the campus community about Columbia’s ineffective gender-based misconduct policy, and the other ways in which the university repeatedly fails its students. As long as our administration refuses to meet the needs of survivors and our campus remains unsafe for students, we will not be silenced. As long as President Bollinger, Executive Vice President Suzanne Goldberg, Dean Jeri Henry, and other administrators fail to take meaningful action to end gender-based violence, we will not fail to make our voices heard.
27 Comments
@Anonymous It’s ironic that NRT has campaigned for there to be trigger warnings in lithum, yet they literally project the word rape onto a building without any means of providing trigger warnings to unknowing pedestrians.
@Anonymous I’m tired of people congratulating NRT for this “bold move” when, like many above have said I found their protest to be counterproductive and sensationalist. How does scaring prospective students by projecting “Rape Happens Here” on Low educate them about the nuances of the sexual assault policy at Columbia? Rape happens everywhere. Columbia is not unique. Columbia is an academic institution, not a judicial court designed to uphold the law. Of course the university cannot be impartial in these cases, but why is the expectation still that the university should be responsible for dealing with complex legal cases impartially? If a murder happened at Columbia the murderer wouldn’t be tried by an administration that lacks legal training. Why is the same expectation placed on rape cases?
Columbia isn’t perfect, but it is not different from its peers. In fact, in the past year Columbia has done a lot more than many of its peers in terms of educating its students about sexual assault and providing them with forums and resources to have productive dialogues about the complexities of these issues. It’s role is to educate, not to sentence. If you want to “educate” incoming students about rape culture on campus and the issues with the gender misconduct policy at Columbia there are plenty of other less sensationalist means of doing it that are more productive and reflect the nuance of the issue. Often rape cases, especially months after the fact, are not clear cut in terms of holding some one accountable, especially without evidence. From the protest it was not clear even what exactly NRT was protesting.
@addendum LOL cuz this didn’t even actually happen. CBS news showed up and no red tape weren’t there, they thought the art installation was NRT
@woow did the NRT loons just call for “re-education”? OK, zoe stalin.
@Fecally yours NRT…you make me want to do this to you.
http://i.giphy.com/yJcykE7Qpj8Yw.gif
@Anonymous Columbia, please get rid of these NRT terrorists! We do not want them on campus.
@bruhhhh perhaps NRT doesn’t always convey their message in the MOST productive way, but y’all are quick to criticize them as you continue to sit on your fat asses and do nothing.
@Anonymous And, pray tell, what exactly SHOULD we be doing to fight this stupidity? Counter protest them and just gain even more counterproductive, negative attention?
@hmmm This is so embarrassing– that students would actually disrupt family orientation sessions– perhaps the first opportunity for many parents of prospectives to interact with the administrators of the school– in order to bring attention to a manufactured controversy, and to address illogical grievances. Those prospective students and parents who are not misled by the protests into believing that there actually is a rape epidemic, or that Columbia is somehow a rape enabler, might be led instead to question the intelligence and emotional maturity of the average Columbian. If they don’t encounter similar silliness at other schools, perhaps they will choose to go there.
@Anonymous NRT needs to sit down and shut up.
@Fecally yours This is soooo fucking boring. NRT, just go away.
@No One Ever “NRT has broadened my understanding of this issue with informative and substantiated claims. They are not using scare tactics in order to hijack attention from fun campus activities. Rather, they are working with the administration on specific policies in order to help provide resources for victims as well as protecting the rights of the accused.”
@PREZBO'S PU$$Y NRT clearly also doesn’t totally understand the “imperfect victim” narrative. As a cis hetero white male but also a survivor (yes, I was assaulted by a woman) I feel unwelcome in the conversation because of my privileged identity, rather than my status as a survivor of sexual violence.
@Me, too As another Columbia cis hetero white male survivor assaulted by a woman, I’ve had the same experience as you.
NRT (and SVR) talk a big game about intersectionality and non-standard victims, but they don’t live it out.
@Grow the fuck up NRT: We get it, but grow the fuck up and stop embarrassing yourselves.
@NRT MAD AS FUCK PLS DUN RAEP GUIZ SRSLY
@Idiots, All of Them Stupidity Reigns.
@Turning sour https:// 33.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6vih7hu9z1rzi3lto1_250.gif
@Turning sour https://media1.giphy.com/media/tyfk5xkUh6QV2/200.gif
There it is: what is feels like NRT has become
@Turning sour https://media1.giphy.com/media/tyfk5xkUh6QV2/200.gif
@Anonymous nice LoK gif, nerd.
@This might help. Maybe someone should stand at the Columbia Gates issuing trigger warnings to everyone going in. “Trigger warning: there might be a No Red Tape protest.”
@Still no answers Your efforts are of a teenager throwing a tantrum because their parents won’t give them what they want. More and more extreme actions are no longer drawing support from the student body but actually makes you look like a bunch of unhinged college students destroying a positive message you once had…
@Still no answers Your efforts are of a teenager throwing a tantrum because their parents won’t give them what they want. More and more extreme actions are no longer drawing support from the student body but actually makes you look like a bunch of unhinged college students destroying a positive message you once had…
https://33.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6vih7hu9z1rzi3lto1_250.gif
@Anonymous that gif is weird
@Anonymous “The group No Red Tape is demanding that Columbia improve their adjudication process, issue harsher sanctions for rapists and abusers, expand their prevention education and provide more resources to survivors.”
This is vague as fuck.
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Dear NRT,
Are you really interested in fixing the issue? Because if you are, then it would be wise of you to consider working WITH the administration instead of aliening them even more. It’s not like Columbia hasn’t tried addressing the issue already. I, for one, think they’ve done plenty in the course of 1 year, and I truly believe they’re actively working on improving the resources they are giving us. Do you think it’s easy to budget and allocate the right professionals into the crisis center and workshops in a year? Keep in mind that this is a process, and all you’re doing at this point is being counterproductive to it. Do you really expect all the rapists on campus to disappear overnight because of your toxic publicity stunts?
This is a problem that the students and the school need to tackle together, and I’m ashamed to say you’re not pulling your weight. In fact, you’re actively drowning out the goals of what was initially an admirable movement. Instead of aimlessly yelling “MAKE IT BETTER MAKE IT BETTER”, why don’t you give us a list of exactly what you want to be better and how you’re going to make it better. These things you want require manpower and money. Start a fundraiser to better support the resources you want. Volunteer in facilities and institutions you want to create. Fucking do something productive. You’ve gathered enough attention already. Stop milking the attention and use your followers to actually make the change you want to see happen. All you’re doing now is being counterproductive to your cause at the same time as ruining a day of celebration for the prospective students.
Sincerely,
Learn how to be an activist.
@Ho-hum Would anybody like to grab a pizza for lunch? I’m in a Koronet mood.