Reclaim OSU protests continue outside Bricker Hall
‘You should stop treating us as spawns; we’re paying you. Treat us like people’
On Tuesday at 3 p.m. students joined together in order to protest outside Bricker Hall, the same building where President Drake’s office is located.
Students voiced their grievances against President Drake and the university by filling out note cards and placing them on the steps of Bricker Hall.
Protesters were displeased with how the university threatened to forcibly remove, arrest, and expel students during Reclaim OSU’s occupation of Bricker Hall a few weeks ago.
“We really saw the threats of arrest and expulsion as the ultimate sign that the university doesn’t actually care about its students,” said Maryam Abidi a third-year strategic communication and women’s studies dual-major at Ohio State.
“To threaten expulsion after just five hours of being in their space was unheard of, it is something other universities have even not threatened to do. Other universities have threatened academic sanctions, but not expulsion, and so it was absolutely horrifying to see our university silence us when all we’ve been asking for is justice,” said Maryam.A note card in response to President Drake’s silence toward the protester’s demands says “Open up the dialogue. We and our parents pay your salary and our opinions deserve validation.”
“The university refuses to budge on any of our demands, but we have seen a lot of progress in the sense that students have come to us and been like you know what I want to learn more about your organizations,” said Maryam.
The protesters feel that the university is putting profits before the interests of its students.
The organization says it will not give up until their demands are met.
Reclaim OSU is a coalition of students from groups such as The International Socialist Organization, United Students Against Sweatshops, Real Food Challenge, Committee for Justice in Palestine, Sierra Club Student Coalition, Still We Rise, and OSU Coalition for Black Lives.
They are seeking transparency from Ohio State as part of their many demands.
The Tab spoke with a protester who shared her thoughts on the situation.