CUNY DIGITAL HISTORY ARCHIVE

This satirical menu featured dishes called “democratic” university, “meaningful” academic employment, “right to peaceful protests” and “safe and secure” learning places and was part of a pop-up political theater action created by the Graduate Center’s General Assembly group. Several protests, rallies and marches that took place on the same day are also announced on the menu.

An offshoot of the Occupy Wall Street movement, Occupy CUNY organized around fighting the militarization of CUNY campuses, and the privatization of education. CUNY students collectively organized pop-up universities, direct action teach-ins, hacking spaces and general assemblies at the Graduate Center and in public spaces. Occupy CUNY also stood in solidarity with Cooper Union students against the implementation of tuition and Quebec’s student movement.