Students at Ohio state engaged in a sit in, declaring that they would occupy the college’s administration building until their terms were met. The terms were (pdf):
We demand complete, comprehensive and detailed access to the Ohio State
budget and investments immediately,as well as personnel to aid students in
understanding this information.
We demand the administration of the Ohio State University be responsive to community calls for justice, transparency and democratic process by meeting at least one of the previously established campaign demands below.
a. OSU Divest: Divest fromCaterpillar Inc., Hewlett Packard and G4Sdue to their
involvement in welldocumented human rights abuses in the Occupied Palestinian
Territories and across the globe.
b. United Students Against Sweatshops: Immediately cease all negotiations of the
Comprehensive Energy Management Project. The university must maintain in house
operation of its energy systems, ensure that all workers in the energy systems will continue to work for the university, and ensure student led sustainability measures are implemented.
c. Real Food OSU: Sign the Real Food Campus Commitment.Ensure the administration work with Real Food OSU through the entire implementation of the Real Food Campus Commitment, in place of, or as a means of attaining, the university sustainability goal of increased “production and purchase of locally and sustainably sourced food to 40% by 2025.”
These students were met with a representative of the college, who told them this:
The students immediately whined (pdf) about how unfair the college was being. These students need to realize that they have the right to free speech. What they do not have is the ability to take someone’s property and use it for their own purposes, which then prevents the owner from using it for the owner’s own purposes. That building is the school’s property. Occupying that property so that its rightful owner cannot use it is theft. If you want to make a speech or statement, either get the property owners’ permission, or buy your own property.