About 40 Students occupied a university-building in the Dutch city of Groningen on Monday afternoon. They protested against the growing influence of private corporations in the higher education system. With chairs, tables and wood they barricaded the doors of the building. They demanded the universtity-president to speak-up against the commercialisation of the university.
After the university´s president D. Bosscher hat promised that students can make a speech at the official opening manifestation of the academical year, the students gave-up their occupation. Bosscher also promised to speak about the commercialisation in his own speech. The students said that they where not campaigning against the university of Groningen ("RuG"), but against the minister of education Hermans. "His policy is based on private market and competition-models. This means in praxis that in education commercial intrests are going to play a role. It`s to crazy for words."


A special website providing broadscale information about the EU-wide strike is online:  http://int-protest-action.tripod.com

Multilingual discussion and coordination will take place by way of our mailinglist:  http://groups.yahoo.com/group/international-pupil-and-studentactions .