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Sit in at Birmingham universities Vice chancellors office

Birmingham uni Stop fees and Cuts | 22.10.2010 15:40 | Education | Public sector cuts | Social Struggles | Birmingham

Birmingham students determined to stop the fees hike and over £20 million pounds worth of planed cuts, stage sit-in in vice chancellors office as first step in new campaign.



25 students joined a sit in Birmingham universities Vice chancellors office, earlier today. The area usually used as pro-fees and cuts central (the Browne review was drafted there), was today turned temporally in anti-cuts and anti-fees HQ for Birmingham University.

Immediately after the students entered the room, the university threatened, eviction and disciplinary action, police soon turned up and explained our rights. The officer in charge conceded, when questioned, that our actions did not constitute a criminal offence; they explained their presence as observers.

The students stood firm and abandoned the sit in after the university promised direct talks on Monday with management for the students and called the Registrar and Secretary Lee sanders down to immediately debate with the students the pros and cons of the fees hike. This may seem like a small victory, however, university mangers have repeatedly refused to debate the universities hardline pro-cuts and fees lobbying, with anyone except the union president behind closed doors.
We left with the understanding that unless after Mondays talks that the university hasn’t come up with any plans to curb its excessive self rewards for top staff and reverse its damaging work on the Browne report, then our campaign will be restarted.

Needless to say, no one was convinced by the registrars and secretaries points, we can at least thank him for giving us the chance to talk with him and he is the first member of the university management to talk publically with students at the University of Birmingham.

Thank you to those who sent all those messages of support and those who rallied outside, your support was very welcome.

Birmingham uni Stop fees and Cuts
- e-mail: weard@riseup.net


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