On Friday 17th December, student protestors at the University of West England (UWE) chose to end their occupation against education cuts after 26 days for the Christmas break, vowing to continue & escalate the fight back. For almost a month student activists occupied a section of the Frenchay campus in protest at the proposed rise in tuition fees and education cuts. The students used the space as a hub for building national and local demonstrations as well as teach-ins, film screenings and live gigs.

On Friday 17th December, student protestors at the University of West England (UWE) chose to end their occupation against education cuts after 26 days for the Christmas break, vowing to continue & escalate the fight back. For almost a month student activists occupied a section of the Frenchay campus in protest at the proposed rise in tuition fees and education cuts. The students used the space as a hub for building national and local demonstrations as well as teach-ins, film screenings and live gigs.

The UWE protest (initially inspired by the student protests at Tory HQ) was the longest running in a wave of student occupations, which jointly with massive marches and civil disobedience have rocked this country over the last 6 weeks. The ‘Camp for education’ received an unprecedented level of support from students at the university and from a large solidarity campaign from trade unions, community organisations and activists across the region.

In the wake of the parliamentary vote, students may be expected to retreat but this betrayal by their parliamentary representatives has only served to pour fuel onto the fire. In France massive education cuts were never implemented despite passing parliamentary votes due to a massive protest movement which struck the country. It is vital that we do the same in this country.

Full Story | Perspectives from the Occupation: The Performance of Security | /a> | UWE Occupation Xmas Newsletter | UCU: Government university funding plans are a 'Christmas kick in the teeth for the sector

The UWE activists have vowed to escalate their protests with the start of the new term with further demonstrations, stunts, meetings and teach- ins. Indeed since coming out of occupation UWE activists have attended a demonstration against corporate tax evasion and enacted a banner drop from Clifton Suspension Bridge with the slogan “People of Europe join the movement, Make the bankers pay!”

With the new term comes new opportunities to fight back against the proposed retraction in the provision of education in our society and the intended reduction in social mobility that could follow. With a mass movement this energetic and creative this represents not just the first crack in the Con-Dem coalition but quite possibly its grave diggers.