Posted 11:45 p.m. Sept. 13- GW students should continue with their plans for the weekend of cancelled classes later this month even if the IMF and World Bank cancel scheduled meetings, the University announced today.
Classes will remain cancelled from 4 p.m. Sept. 27 to 4 p.m. Oct. 2 even if the International Monetary Fund and World Bank cancel or postpone their annual meetings that weekend– something D.C. Mayor Anthony Willliams and Metropolitan Police Chief Charles Ramsey requested in light of Tuesday’s terrorist attacks.
“What we are going to do is stick with the academic calendar that we announced even if the meetings aren’t taking place,” University President Stephen Joel Trachtenberg said. “Classes are going to be cancelled on that weekend, and the Columbus Day weekend will be cannibalized as a result.”
Trachtenberg said residence halls will be open if the Metropolitan Police Department withdraws its request for GW to close the Foggy Bottom campus. If the meetings are cancelled and protest activity is still expected, Trachtenberg said residence halls may be closed.
Ramsey originally requested GW evacuate its residence halls to help control the crowd of 100,000 protesters expected at the meetings, scheduled for Sept. 29 and 30.
If the meetings are cancelled, Director of Media Relations Gretchen King said, GW will consider whether possible protests will still present a danger to students in their rooms. While the full amount of protesters may not show, King said the ones that do are more likely to pose a safety threat.
“You may not have 100,000, but you may have 15,000 individual who have a more radical approach to making their voices heard,” she said. “It would probably be the most determined and probably the most radical forces.”
Trachtenberg said Wednesday that he was “leaning toward” resuming a normal schedule because there would be no reason to cancel class or close buildings without large-scale protests. He said if the reason for canceling classes was removed, “the University will not be able to justify giving people who are able to stay here a five-day vacation.”
The IMF will announce its decision meetings within the next two days, IMF spokesperson Vasuki Shastry said.
“There are views within the IMF and World Bank to cancel the meetings,” Shastry said. “We are waiting to consult the federal U.S. authorities before making a decision.”
If federal agencies agree with the request of Williams and MPD, Shastry said the meetings will be cancelled or moved to another location.
When told that the meetings may be moved, Trachtenberg said, “How about Burma — that sounds great to me.”
