These actions happened in two phases.

PHASE 1

From 7:00am this morning to 12:01pm this afternoon, a Human blockade was staged all around

the Old Schools site, Cambridge University's administrative centre, effectively shutting down the building for the morning.

Some activists D-Locked themselves to a couple of stepladders at the back of the building on

Trinity Lane. They were surrounded by a silent protest, members of whom taped up their mouths, as a symbolic comment on how the institution has ignored their demands so far.

Other exits from the building were also blockaded, including the Entrance to the (Gonville and) Caiius Library on Senate Passage, also the entrance to the occupation room, and a

noisier protest was staged in front of the site on Kings Parade.

A few of the Academics who signed the petition on the Defend Education website also turned up, symbolically wearing their black gowns, some of which apparently belonged to Dons who are no longer with us(!).

Although Police and security were present all the time in small numbers, the morning went without incident, until a few minutes before the end, when Cambridge Chief Constable showed up to issue a warning to the students that they could be forcibly removed.

A few minutes after this, it was collectively decided that the protest would end peacefully at midday, on their own terms, accompanied by plenty of high spirited jubilant cheering and clapping, despite everyone having been standing out in the freezing cold for several hours.


PHASE 2

This took place later in the afternoon (about 5:00pm), and involved a mass occupation of one of the main halls inside The Guildhall, one of the main administrative centres for Cambridge City Council, which includes the Council debating chambers, although these were locked.

The Guildhall is just a few moments' walk away from the occupation site at The Market Square.

Barely five minutes after activists entered the building, police and security turned up, although the occupation continued for about 45 minutes, before once again everyone decided to voluntarily leave.

However, while this later action was taking place, there was another development taking place back at Old Schools, as Police and Proctors decided to take advantage of the depleted numbers in the Combination Room and briefly enter to give notice to leave, claiming that the room has been deemed to be a 'Fire Risk', even though a Fire Exit has been locked from the outside.

This last statement inflamed passions amongst a few of the students present, and a heated debate occurred. One which remained unresolved, as Police and Proctors decided to leave shortly after this, but not before issuing thinly veiled threats regarding all the occupying students' future academic prospects.

Perhaps this action was an escalation in kind in response to today's events.

After a meeting, the occupying students decided to ignore the threats made against them, and the occupation now heads into it's seventh night.

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There are plans to host a public meeting in the Combination Room on Sunday, so the wider public can come and discuss how to expand the campaign against the cuts.

This meeting will take place at 1:00pm.

If you care, you'll be there.

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As ever, if anyone else present during today's events wants to expand upon what I've written, please do so, including pictures you may have taken.