Thousands of university, college and school students, lecturers, teachers and community groups have taken part in a march and demonstration in central Bristol against education cuts. A group of students has now occupied the University of Bristol’s Union Building, holding a People’s Assembly.
At midday, crowds gathered at Senate House to hear speakers, including an ‘open mic’ session where members of the crowd spoke about their reasons for joining the protest and views on the future of higher education. Many of those addressing the crowds were from local schools and colleges, and voiced their concerns about measures that are transforming the role of the university from a space for critical thought and creativity to a simple training institute. They felt they are faced with policies which do not appreciate the value of the arts, humanities and social sciences and which are redefining education as a market regulated commodity. A student speaker said:
‘it’s great to finally see some proper debate emerging on higher education in Bristol. We are here to develop a common voice against those who impose these policies on us’
At around 2.30 a group of students occupied the Anson Rooms in the Students Union building, holding a People’s Assembly to make voices heard that have not been represented by the Student Union reps. The group says they are committed to a positive, constructive rhetoric with concrete policy implications for our university and for higher education. They feel let down by the Students’ Union which denied them a forum for proper debate. One of the occupiers said: ‘the University here and the national bodies which represent it, such as the Russell Group have been too conciliatory in their relations with the coalition government. They have accepted the current austerity measures as an inevitability and have done very little to oppose them despite the significant changes they herald.’
The group says it stands in solidarity with all those who turned out for the protest today and opposes any sort of victimisation of any individuals by the media and by police. The group has expressed their views as follows:
1. We wish to express our solidarity with everybody affected by the education cuts including but not limited to university staff, current school and university students
2. We also wish to express our solidarity with all those affected by the austerity measures
3. We call for a union which represents the interests of all students and we demand an Emergency General Meeting
4. We demand that the plans for cuts are made public and we demand the University’s plans for spending to be made public; we demand an open book policy
5. We demand the vice chancellor take a stance against any education cuts
6. We should be allowed to continue learning in this occupied space with free access to come and go as we please
7. We condemn heavy-handed policing tactics which damaged the peoples’ protest
8. We demand no disciplinary repercussions for those involved in the protest