At around 6pm yesterday students from the University of Hull once again occupied the Staff House, housing the Vice-Chancellor’s office and used to host commercial events on campus. The occupiers were promptly locked in by university security, denying them access to water and toilets. This situation quickly changed when management realised the implications of effectively holding the occupiers hostage.The university was initially occupied on the 13th December last year for five days before the occupiers left, vowing that it was merely a hiatus and that the struggle would continue. The fact that the occupation has been restarted shows that despite the apparent calm in the student movement, there remains a willingness to take direct action to strengthen anti-cuts campaigns. With Glasgow Uni also in occupation, we can see that university managements should be expecting a ‘hot summer’, as students gear up to use campuses as a base to fight cuts to education and local services.
With local demonstrations planned across the region as Councils announce budget cuts in the next few weeks, students are increasingly drawing the conclusion that only united action alongside public sector workers can bring about an effective resistance to the Coalition’s austerity plans. Now more than ever, co-ordination of workers and students is vital to building the unity in action that can make councils think hard about where they drop the axe, and show Uni bosses that Education isn’t for sale.
More news as it comes in.
