We, a group of faculty at the New School, express our solidarity with Occupy Wall Street and our support for New School students who have been involved in OWS activities. We are aware that some of our colleagues are creating a legal aid and health coverage fund available to students who have been arrested or injured while engaging in civil and political disobedience. We support the initiative to create this fund, and we encourage others to contribute to it. We are committed to promoting the rights of free assembly, free speech and the expression of opinion by members of our community. We believe that these rights are essential to the promotion of progressive and accessible education and the broader realization of a just society. We strongly condemn any attempt to infringe on these rights, including the use of excessive force by the authorities. We also insist that the integrity and autonomy of the New School as a place of learning and the free and open exchange of ideas be preserved. We therefore call on the administration and the broader community to resist any potential effort of the New York Police Department or other law enforcement agency to conduct operations related to OWS activities on our campus.