* We are a peaceful and non-violent protest.
We applaud this and hope you stick to the promise. Non violent also means you can't smash up people's stuff right?

* We see ourselves as part of what is happening all across the country today.
Yep, ALL citizens are ALL part of what is happening across the country.

* We are against a rise in tuition fees and support the principle of free education.
Mmm... not sure that we want to pay for you to do a degree in Fine Arts or something that doesn't really have any value. If you want to do a degree for personal fun, I'd rather you pay for it youself rather than expect to contribute - I've got a snowboarding holiday I'm trying to save up for. I'm really sorry - but I don't have any spare money to give you. All my money is useful to me.

* We are against all cuts to public services and welfare.
All of them? What about all the non-jobs in the public sector? I'm sick of hearing about another diversity strategy officer being paid more than me from my tax contributions.
I (and many others) support cuts in public services, because we think it can be vastly more efficient.

* We are in solidarity with all workers and those affected by the cuts proposed. We especially support the members of the UCU and any industrial action they choose to take in their fight for pensions.
Fair enough. Not sure where all the money is going to come from to support the public services that you wont cut though

* We demand the immediate re-instatement of EMA.
Never heard of it. If its somekind of handout, then I'd rather not contribute - thanks.

* For the University to publicise through all available channels the ways in which the cuts will affect staff and students.
Ok. will do.

* No victimisation of anybody involved in protesting against the cuts.
Ah.... well that depends on what you do. Taking over a private building without authorisation of the owners aint exactly legal regardless of peaceful or not. And since everyone has a moral and legal obligation to report a crime in this country.......

* We demand the right to recall all Liberal Democrats, specifically Nick Clegg as our local MP, who pledged to vote against a rise in tuition fees.
Demand away. Do you think he will listen or just ignore you. Anyway, its better than labour lets face it.

* We call upon the University of Sheffield and Sheffield Hallam University Vice-Chancellors to defend education by actively and publicly opposing the cuts.
I don't think they are doing cuts for the fun of it. Its cause there isn't much money around.
For instance, I could demand that you buy me a pint even though you are skint. Its not because you don't want to, its because you havn't got the money spare.

First, can we get over this thing about I pay for your cheese. Students pay taxes as well (in the form of VAT, and income tax when they work - which many due during term time and most do outside term time). If you, animal, work in the public sector, I pay for your cheese through taxes. If you work in the private sector, I pay for your cheese through the goods & services I buy. We all pay for each other - that's how economies work.

Second, can we get over the idea that there is not any money around. Look through the financial pages and see the returns that companies are making - there's a lot of profit out there. Yes, the government seems to have very little, and there are three ways it can address this:
1. Raise taxes.
2. Claim the over £1 billion that it is owed.
3. Reduce spending.
The fact that this government has chosen to do only the third one is an ideological decision, not and economic one.

Animal, you've obviously missed the point. This crisis was created by exorbitantly rich bankers (operating within the context of a system that puts profit above all else) and now we--workers, students, the unemployed, pensioners--are being made to pay for it.

We're the ones who do the productive work in society. It's us who live paycheck to paycheck and it's us who have struggled for all the benefits--from unemployment benefits, the EMA (look it up) and National Insurance--that currently exist. It's the bosses and bureaucrats who enrich themselves at our expense. Worse yet, they're trying to use /their/ crisis to attack /our/ pay, social benefits, and living conditions.

That's what the occupation is about.