Revolutionary Student Coordinating Committee member Tafadar Sourov granted The Campus a brief, exclusive interview about his upcoming meeting with CCNY’s faculty-student disciplinary committee. CUNY security approached Sourov, along with fellow RSCC member Khalil Vasquez, on campus last Monday, informing the two they were suspended from CCNY for inciting an alleged riot.
Sourov has heard rumors the school is trying to permanently remove him and Vasquez.
“From unnamed sources we have learned that the administration is having internal conversations about actually expelling us,” he said via email. “There will be a 5 person committee selected by Friday to vote on our sentence, composed of 2 students, 2 faculty and one chairperson. I suspect that the school will try to dish out the worst possible punishment, to just try and kill all of this off while it is growing stronger.”
Despite their suspension-which they believe is retaliation for their role in leading protests against the closing of the Morales-Shakur Center-the two have continued their fight to regain the space.
“We have been doing our part by outreaching to the community, and all of the local businesses have our flyer up and even the food vendors and carts,” Sourov added. “We have been talking to students and media, and writing articles. We are doing our part in our capacity.”
But even if they are expelled, Sourov and Vasquez plan to “continue in building a CUNY-wide coalition to tackle all of the issues that exist within our university, and create a movement to transform CUNY into a democratic institution.” They will also proceed with a mass demonstration against CUNY’s November 25th vote on the proposed “Policy On Expressive Authority.” If passed, the legislation would severely restrict students’ abilities to protest on campus.
Sourov and Vasquez’s hearing will be held this Friday at 9 am. The RSCC is calling for a mass demonstration outside the NAC at the same time.
