"NYU is troubled and disappointed by those who sought to disrupt the talk Michal Cotler-Wunsch was invited to give yesterday at the Law School. Members of the community who disagree with invited speakers' views have a right to dissent in accordance with University rules, but we reject efforts to interfere with a speaker's right to communicate and an audience's right to hear a speaker.
"The regrettable disruption - which started shortly after Ms. Cotler-Wunsch began her remarks - was over in a matter of a few minutes: immediately after the disruption started, a Law School administrator promptly rose, publicly affirmed Ms. Cotler-Wunsch's right to speak, and reminded the audience that it was a violation NYU principles and rules to try to exercise a 'heckler's veto.' Within a few minutes, the protesters were gone from the room, Ms. Cotler-Wunsch had resumed her remarks, and the talk carried on for another hour, as scheduled.
"The University also flatly rejects the sentiment chalked outside the event's venue that asserted that 'Zionists are not welcome.' It is untrue, wrong as a matter of principle, and at odds with NYU's academic and community commitments, which notably maintains through its NYU Tel Aviv location one of the most prominent academic centers of any US university in Israel, a vibrant center for Jewish student life in New York City, and a highly distinguished Hebrew and Judaic Studies Department." - NYU Spokesperson John Beckman
