As students and faculty at Columbia University, participating in and observing the events of the Occupy Together movement in New York City and across the country, we witnessed with deep sadness the violent and indefensible police attack on the peaceful and lawful protestors of Occupy Oakland.

We believe the actions taken by the police against protestors—in Oakland, in Denver, in Boston, and in New York City—are inconsistent with the principles of democracy and equality which we expect of any just society.

As such, in solidarity with Occupy Oakland, and the General Strike which they have called for, and in defense of the Occupy movement nationally, students at Columbia and other universities across the City will be walking out of classes at 3:00 on Wednesday, November 2nd and marching with #OccupyWallStreet.

We ask the faculty, by signing this statement, to acknowledge their support for those students who choose to walkout, and to pledge not to penalize those students.

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