UK Education Feature Archive
Sheffield University Occupation: Anti-Cuts Protest and Rally
05-12-2010 09:43
On Saturday 5th December 2010 students from the occupation of the Richard Roberts building at Sheffield University were joined by others in a protest against rise in tuition fees and tax dodging companies. Tax dodgers Vodafone and Topshop were targeted as part of the action with protesters blockading the entrance to both stores on Fargate and, as a result, the Vodafone store was forced to close.
Sheffield University have been granted a posession order but at Public Rally to support the Occupation, on Sunday 5th December, in the Richard Roberts Building, Paul White, Pro Vice-Chancellor, Sheffield University said they were not going to enforce the order (audio). Recordings of most of the speakers from the Rally and also from the Roy Bailey gig which followed the rally are available ( 1 | 2 ).
The occupation was ended on the eve of the protests in London on the day that MP were due to vote on the cuts. See the the Sheffield Occupation web site for the latest news.
Newswire: Roy Bailey Set from the Sheffield University Occupation | Sheffield University Occupation Rally Against Cuts | Sheffield Occupation and Anti-Cuts Protest | Sheffield students protest against tuition fee rises and tax dodgers - Photos | Sheffield Occupation Marches Against Austerity | Sheffield Vodafone and Top Shop targeted in tax dodge demo
Related Features: Students March on Nick Clegg's Office and Occupy the Richard Roberts Building | Sheffield University Occupied in Opposition to Education Cuts
Students March on Nick Clegg's Office and Occupy the Richard Roberts Building
01-12-2010 22:02
On Tuesday 30th November, as part of the nationwide "Day X2" protests, around 200-300 university workers, students and locals took on the 45 minute trek from the Sheffield University concourse to Nick Clegg’s (Sheffield Lib Dem MP and Deputy Prime Minister) constituency office in Fullwood. Despite the snow and heavy handed policing, which involved a ban "from going within 40 metres of Sheffield MP Nick Clegg's office", the protest returned to the University and proceeded to occupy the Richard Roberts building. The occupation has issued a set of demands and for the latest news visit the occupation web site.
Update 3/12/2010: With short notice Sheffield University have been granted an eviction injunction, but this has yet to be served.
There will be a demonstration against the cuts on Saturday 4th December, meet on the Sheffield University concourse at 12:00 and on Sunday 5th December, a Sheffield Against Cuts Public Rally, 16:00 in the Richard Roberts Auditorium.
A third national days of protests "Day X3", has been called for Thursday 9 December 2010, the date of the parliamentary vote on fee increases. The Sheffield reports from the first national day of action, can be found here: Sheffield University Occupied in Opposition to Education Cuts.
Newswire: Sheffield Occupation: a weekend of action against cuts | Students at University of Sheffield Occupation Threatened With Court Injunction | Sheffield University: Occupation Demands | Sheffield students protest against tuition fee rises - Photos | Sheffield Marches on Clegg and Sheffield University Occupied Again! | Bringing it all Back Home (Sheffield Student Demo)
Radcliffe Camera becomes Radical Campus
30-11-2010 17:37
One of Oxford University's most emblematic buildings, the Radcliffe Camera library, was occupied for around 30 hours last week by students and residents campaigning against education cuts.
The occupation followed a mass demo and was part of a national day of action. The occupiers demanded the University oppose the cuts, and commit not to raise fees, privatise or punish those involved. They called for free and public education for all, and put this into practice by holding teach-ins, mass meetings and dancing in the newly liberated space, while the upstairs room was reserved for quiet study.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the authorities stopped this 'Free University' from thriving by doing their best to prevent people coming in, and, after the occupiers refused to compromise on their demands, by smashing their way in and aggressively evicting everyone.
Meanwhile an anti-cuts demo on Saturday led to an impromptu bank occupation and a second day of action on Tuesday saw the County Council offices briefly occupied, Castle Hill reclaimed and shopping centres invaded!
[ RadCam reports: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 ] [ RadCam videos: 1 | 2 | 3 ]
[ occupation blog ] [ demo: 1 | 2 ] [ Day X2: 1 | 2 ] [ Oxford Education Campaign ]
Full article | 5 additions | 1 comment
Student Resistance Spreads
29-11-2010 14:36
Edinburgh University Occupation is keeping a list of all occupations regularly updated. For more information about resistance to the cuts, see the anti cuts website.
Council House & universities occupied: students reject cuts and fees hike
26-11-2010 12:46
On Tuesday 30th November school students and university students took to the streets over cuts which will leave higher education out of reach for working class students. The city Council House chambers were taken over by students staging a sit-down protest and a list of demands put to the City Council.
On Wednesday 24th November students at both Birmingham university and Warwick university showed solidarity with all future generations intending to enter higher education. The universities were occupied to resist the cuts to education and the £12,000 a year fee hikes which would make Britain one of the most expensive countrys in the world to study. These attacks on education are part of a wider neo-liberal experiment, where swathes of public services are planned to be 'marketised', opening up a large sector of the economy to corporate profiteering.
Related Links | Video: Birmingham university protest & occupation | On Facebook: Birmingham Stop Fees & Cuts | Anticuts website | Tuesday National Protests - Day X2Full article | 1 addition | 2 comments
Sheffield University Occupied in Opposition to Education Cuts
24-11-2010 20:30
Students from schools, colleges and the universities demonstrated in the city centre on 24th of November in protest at the increase in tuition fees and education cuts. Following this students occupied the Hicks Building at Sheffield University. One of the occupying students explained the reason for this:
"We are occupying for a variety of reasons but generally around the common purpose of being against the cuts in this university, to other universities and to education in general. Particularly we want to demonstrate against the proposed rise in tuition fees and the ongoing privatisation of higher education. However, we are also tying our actions to a wider struggle against austerity measures and cuts."
The University evicted the occupation the following day.
On the same day there was a massive turn out for the launch of the Sheffield Anti-Cuts Campaign, listen to the speeches from the meeting. See also the recording of the Defending the state? Welfare cuts and the social wage meeting held in early November.
A second day of national protests has called for Tuesday 30th November 2010, assemble at Sheffield University students union campus on Western Bank at 12.00 noon to march to Nick Clegg’s office.
Newswire: Sheffield Marches on Clegg 30th Nov | Short Video of Student Protest in Sheffield on 24th November | University Security Attempt to Evict Student Occupation at Sheffield | Sheffield Anti cuts Alliance Meeting | Sheffield Against Cuts Meeting and March To Sheffield Uni Occupation | Sheffield Students Demo: Images Of The Police | Sheffield Students Demo: Images | Sheffield Students Demo | University of Sheffield Occupies! | Interview with an anarchist student occupier at Sheffield University | Sheffield Students Protest Against the Cuts | Statement from NUT executive members in support of the school walk outs
Links: Sheffield Occupation | Sheffield Occupation Messages of Support
Walk-outs for the future of education
24-11-2010 13:14
In Leeds today over one thousand students walked out to demonstrate against the Government spending cuts. The demonstration was friendly with slogans such as, "Education is a right","Fib Dems" and "Fuck Capitalism not students". The students were joined with school children from Allerton Grange, Ilkely Grammar, Lawnswood and more. There is also a video of the demo.
Other UK Demos: Manchester, London [1] [2] [3] [4] , Birmingham, Lancaster
Other news: Student Protest on Campus At Sheffield, Manchester, Southampton University, UWE Under Occupation, Royal Holloway, Student protest in London.
Full article | 6 additions | 16 comments
UK-wide Student Resistance to the Cuts
24-11-2010 10:50
Update: A Second DayX has been called for 30th November. [ 2 | 3 | List of planned DayX2 actions ]
On Wednesday 24 November, tens of thousands of students walked out of their Schools, Colleges and Universities in protest against the cuts and austerity measures, whilst others occupied theirs.
Reports, updates, further action and advice for students in full article. Read on...
Demos, a banner drop and a takeover - this month’s Anti-Cuts Campaign
01-11-2010 22:49
Oxford's anti-cuts campaign, a network of service users, unions and student groups, rapidly mobilised an escalating succession of protests in the last two weeks against the planned demolition of the welfare state by the ConDem government.
About 200 people rallied during a day of action against the cuts in Bonn Square on 20th Oct, coinciding with the release of the Comprehensive Spending Review. There were speeches and several people gave us their reactions to the cuts. That same morning, activists dropped a banner on Carfax Tower.
The Oxford Education Campaign, a group of hundreds of Oxford and Oxford Brookes students mobilising independently of their student unions, organised over 1000 protesters to march on the day of Vince Cable’s (Government Business Secretary) scheduled visit (28th Oct). Vince Cable embarrassingly cancelled his talk, but the march occurred as planned and police cordons were broken several times.
Within 48 hours of the education march, the local Vodafone shop on Cornmarket was taken over by 30 protesters as part of a national action against the company, in which over 21 shops were occupied around the UK, for its widely reported £6bn tax evasion.
Throughout the month, the Oxford Save Our Services campaign spoke to the BBC, ITV, and others about the prospect of losing their services. SOS also leafleted in central and East Oxford and engaged with the community about the cuts.
Next steps
- The National Union of Students will march in London on 10th Nov. Over 7000 students and supporters from around the country are expected to attend.
- The Oxfordshire Anti-Cuts Alliance has called a meeting on 16th Nov, "United Against the Cuts" at Oxford Town Hall at 7.30pm.
- Nick Clegg will be in town on 17th Nov, to speak at the Oxford Union; if he doesn’t cancel then his presence is likely to galvanise thousands of activists in the region.
[ Bonn Sq rally: 1 | 2 | 3 | demotix ] [ banner drop ] [ education demo: 1 | 2 | 3 elsewhere: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 ]
[ vodafone demo: 1 | 2 | elsewhere ] [ Save Our Services | Oxford Education Campaign | UK Uncut ]
SchNEWS 744: To The Manor Osbourne
21-10-2010 21:36
Thousands have marched, a government department has been broken into, and a Scottish branch of Lloyds TSB has been occupied by pissed-off pensioners...It must be the (OK, somewhat quiet compared to France) start of the anti-cuts revolt!
Free School Weekend 8-10th October 2010
08-10-2010 15:13
The UK's Con-Dem government is promoting 'Free Schools' without realising that there is a long and proud history of counter-cultural, libertarian free schools across the world.
Here, the Sheffield Social Centre group organised a free school on the weekend of 8th to 10th October 2010 at 7 Smithfield, S3 7AR.
The weekend was well attended and included, urban scrumping, the UK premiere of Psywar (watch online | download | bittorrent | audio version), discussions about what is a social centre? and how can we bring about radical change in our society? and much more.
Photos: Images from Sheffield Free School | Sheffield Free School abundance urban scrumping
Audio: How can we bring about radical change in our society? | What is a social centre? | What's happening at the Free School?
Opposing the cuts in Oxford
17-09-2010 18:16
Opposition to the planned public sector spending cuts is growing across Oxfordshire and beyond.
In early September there was a sit-in protest in Lloyds Bank in central Oxford. Protesters pointed out that the banks are being funded by the public at the expense of our frontline services including heath care, social services, and housing.
A week later, Oxford Save Our Services held a public meeting to start mapping the cuts in Oxfordshire and to start building resistance to them. Around 50 people - including service users and public sector workers whose jobs could be under threat - all spoke about the cuts that were being made. These ranged from closing the GAP homeless project, stopping schools & parks projects, closing care centres, turning off speed cameras, and much more.
There was a passionate speech from Stuart (pictured) who had been to the Oxfordshire County Council 'Big Debate' meeting calling for solidarity amongst all those seeking to oppose the cuts.
Resistance to the cuts is in fairly early stages, but rapidly gathering momentum. Events coming up in the near future include:
23 September 7pm: Town Hall Oxford Trades Council open community meeting for all groups and unions against the cuts.
27 September: Oxford Save Our Services planning meeting. Update: Meeting details.
3 October: Demonstration at the Tory party conference. Coaches going from Oxford.
20 October (day of the Comprehensive Spending Review): National day of action against the cuts.
[ Bank sit-in report ] [ Save Our Services meeting: Report | Photos | Audio ]
[ Oxford Save Our Services | Oxford Right to Work | No Shock Doctrine ]
SchNEWS 739: Tesco Check-Out
16-09-2010 19:01
In fantastic victory for the local community, Tesco have withdrawn their involvement from the Lewes Road Community Garden development plans.
On the Newswire:1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6
SchNEWS: Squaring Up To 'Em
13-05-2010 19:48
This Saturday (15th) people will be protesting at various places around central London to give the new 'stable, national interest' coalition a warm welcome.
SchNEWS gives a round-up of all the events taking place over the weekend to get your action-hungry teeth stuck into.
Full article | 2 additions | 2 comments
Middlesex University occupation continues
12-05-2010 23:47
On May 4th, Middlesex University students occupied the executive board room on Trent Park campus in protest at the management's decision to close the entire philosophy department, after a meeting with the Dean and Deputy Vice Chancellor was cancelled. The following day, they occupied the entire building, following a rally attended by at least 100 people. Over a week on, occupants are stilling holding strong and organising various events and activities.
Links: Save Middlesex Philosophy | Photos | Responses to management lies: 1 | 2
Update Occupiers were served with a High Court injunction, which came into effect at 8am on 15th May. They stayed till 4pm, then decided to leave.
Radford community on the march
22-03-2010 15:19
Saturday 20th March saw over 100 members of the Radford community march from the threatened Radford Unity Complex to Market Square. They were protesting City Council plans to close the building which is currently home to a number of community groups.
The Council says it is saving £140,000 per year by closing the building and says it has a buyer. They have offered the affected groups premises at the closed Douglas Road Primary School. However, Joginder Singh of the Sikh Community and Youth Service said that the new premises are "many times worse" than those they have at the moment and that the groups have been "treated like parasites" by Jon Collins and the City Council.
The groups are angry that they were not consulted about the plans before being served with an eviction notice and that they are not being given an opportunity to buy the building themselves. They are considering taking legal action against the council over the way they have been treated.
Newswire: Interview with Leonie Meikle of Erondu about the Radford Unity Centre | Radford community on the march | March to stop the eviction of community groups from the Radford Unity Complex
Previous features: Protests against county council cuts | Campaign to save Victoria Baths takes fight to the council | Stonebridge City Farm under threat | Community centres under fire
Links: Petition | NCCLOLs on the closure | SCYS | Nottingham Teaching College | Shiefton Youth Group and Supplementary School
Full article | 1 addition | 1 comment
SchNEWS: School of Hard Knocks
04-03-2010 20:30
Students at Sussex University came into violent conflict with riot cops on Wednesday (3rd) as they occupied the executive nerve centre of their university. Several weeks in the planning by Stop the Cuts campaign, around 80 students rushed the 'fortified' Sussex House building with a supporting demo outside of around 300 people, all in protest against the proposed cuts to university funding. The occupation was part of a national day of action, called against £950m of government cuts to higher education announced on February 1st. There were also actions in Norwich, Leeds and London.
Links: Indymedia Coverage:1 |2 |3 | 4Videos of the protests | Stop the Cuts – Defend Sussex
Full article | 2 additions | 2 comments
SOAS occupied in protest at cleaners immigration raid
16-06-2009 12:18
Update: Occupation ends with (partial) success.
Students and staff at the University of London's School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), along with anti-deportation campaigners, have occupied the School's main building in protest at the management's and immigration authorities' attack on migrant workers at the School. Nine cleaners were detained on Friday, 12th June, in an orchestrated dawn raid in which the management and cleaning contractor ISS reportedly played a 'sickening' role [details].
Five of the nine have already been deported, with the others held in detention pending their deportation. A well-attended rally was held on Monday, 15th June, outside the building [pictures]. Another rally and demonstration were held on Tuesday [pictures | update].
Campaigners believe the raid was the management's 'revenge' against the cleaners' successful campaign, Justice for Cleaners, which saw them winning the London living wage and trade union representation.
Links: Occupation's blog | the Justice for Cleaners campaign | London Indymedia feature | Shouldn't the SOAS raid be the beggining of a campaign against subcontracting?
John Moores Students Protest Against Cuts
26-03-2009 17:48
Nottingham university occupied in solidarity with Gaza
29-01-2009 16:15
Since 9pm on Wednesday a group of students has been occupying a room at the University of Nottingham in solidarity with the people of Gaza. The students have published a list of demands that include that the university of Nottingham cut its financial ties with the arms industry, that 'academic' aid be sent to Gaza, and that there be no repercussions for those involved in the occupation.
Professor Noam Chomsky has sent the students a message of support stating that he was "very pleased to learn about your courageous and honorable actions, particularly significant because of the crucial British contribution to the savage onslaught on Gaza... I hope you have the greatest success in arousing public opinion and bringing these monstrous crimes to an end."
Update 01/02/09: The occupation has been violently evicted by university security. At around 6pm around 10 security staff used force to remove the occupants into the snow outside. Students were made to wait in the cold whilst they went in one by one to pick up belongings. They were also forced to give ID in order to be allowed entry.
National Feature: Over a dozen university occupations for Palestine
Newswire: Nottingham University Students Occupation in Solidarity with Gaza 1 | 2 | Minipodcast from the third night of the occupation at Nottingham Uni | Petition to support Occupation Nottingham | Riseup Radio Report on day one of the Occupation of Nottingham University | Breaking News: Student Occupation at Nottingham University
Links: Occupation Nottingham | Petition | Notts Palestine newswire
