MIDTOWN — Forty-one protesters were arrested in front of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Midtown office Thursday after staging a die-in against proposed CUNY budget cuts, police said.
Demonstrators including CUNY faculty blocked the entrance to Cuomo's office at 633 Third Ave. at about 5 p.m. while chanting "C-U-N-Y, Don't Let CUNY Die!"
Right now! CUNY faculty arrested to protest cuts to our city's public u!! #dontletcunydie #CUNYrising pic.twitter.com/ULROeP4SVs
— Joseph Entin (@JosephEntin) March 24, 2016
By the end of it, 41 people were arrested, NYPD officials said Friday morning.
The governor announced in January that he would cut the state's share in funding the public university network by $485 million. Mayor Bill de Blassio vowed to fight the cuts "by any means necessary" after the proposed budget was announced.
Protestors also took aim at recent tuition hikes and budgetary restrictions that have prevented faculty from getting a raise in six years.
Tax the rich, not the poor, stop the war on CUNY #cunyrising pic.twitter.com/DmF3Xvd1Xs
— Danica Savonick (@DanicaSavonick) March 24, 2016
A video showed at least a dozen people lying down on the sidewalk in front of the building.
.@seangmackell on #Periscope: #cunyrising die in https://t.co/TZ3XWYoDjY @PSC_CUNY @nysut
— Greg McCrea (@CNYTeacher) March 24, 2016