More action promised as 29h flash occupation ends

The occupiers left the conference centre at 7pm this evening, greeted by a crowd of over 100 cheering supporters.
The occupation proved its power this afternoon – we called a 200-strong demonstration, which stormed Bramber house and entered the occupation. The occupiers left in a position of enormous strength, promising more action and a continued campaign.

The 29-hour flash occupation has demonstrated to management that this campaign is capable of taking militant action in support of staff fighting against cuts and job losses, and that we are capable of mobilising huge numbers at incredibly short notice to support actions.
The campaign continues!

Upcoming events -
TOMORROW Wednesday Feb 10th, 4.30pm, Chichester 1
School of English Consultation with management – come down to demand honest answers, details, and stop management pulling the wool over our eyes!
Thursday Feb 11th – 5pm, Falmer Common Room
Organising meeting – come and contribute your views and energy to the future direction of the campaign.
Monday Feb 15th, 3pm, Silverstone 121
Consultations between the registrar and student reps – All student reps are encouraged to attend, Stop The Cuts will protesting outside at the ridiculous plans that management have for the student advice service.
Saturday March 6th, Midday, The Level – March For Jobs

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=275844462408&ref=ts

Source for Academic Research into Corporatisation of Higher Education

Hi guys and gals,
one of my professors recommended this Journal Volume, focussing on Higher Education, Corporatisation and Resistance.

Check it out! http://ojs.library.ubc.ca/index.php/newproposals/issue/view/80/showToc

Link to newstatesman article on University cuts and demonstrations:

http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/the-staggers/2010/02/education-cuts-university

STATEMENT FROM THE OCCUPATION ON DISRUPTIONS TO EDUCATION IN BRAMBER HOUSE

The Students of the Occupation of Bramber House would like to make it clear that any cancellations or disruptions to University education is a decision that has been made by the University management, specifically the new Registrar John Duffy.

This is explicitly against the wishes of everyone involved with the Occupation.

Earlier today one class of students that was booked to be in the occupied room decided, along with their tutor, that they wished to in fact continue with their seminar as planned. This was supported by the students occupying the room along with the Students’ Union, but opposed by the Registrar, and therefore did not go ahead.

“This is a blatant attempt by the management to unfairly discredit the Stop the Cuts campaign on campus.” said one of the occupiers, “but no one is fooled, we will continue until these Universities damaging proposals are dropped”.

Over 150 students, supported by hundreds attending the demonstrations of the last few days, have been in occupation since 4pm on Monday protesting against cuts announced earlier this year. We, the students in the occupation, stand in solidarity with UCU and the strike that they will be balloting on in the coming weeks.

Solidarity with Sussex Downs college

Sussex Stop the Cuts campaign would like to express its solidarity with Sussex Downs FE College in Eastbourne which has gone on strike today over cuts.

University of Sussex Occupation Statement 9th February 2010

On the 8th of February 2010 over one hundred Sussex students entered and occupied the corporate conference centre in Bramber House as a display of support and solidarity for the UCU’s upcoming strike ballot. Furthermore, we stand in solidarity with all other workers at Sussex taking action against the cuts.

In a rally held yesterday we raised over £250 towards the strike fund and urge all those who value the work of staff to contribute further.

We strongly oppose the cuts and lack of meaningful consultation that management has offered students and staff.

This action is only the beginning and it is part of the wider campaign against management’s cuts at Sussex. We intend to continue to bring the fight to management.

We acknowledge that Sussex is not the only university being affected by cuts to public spending and that this is not only a national phenomenon but is affecting public spending and education internationally. We would like to express our solidarity with everyone fighting cuts all over the world.

Upcoming Events

Tuesday

Demo in support of the occupation, 12:30pm, Lib. square onto Bramber House

Brighton Workers Speak Out: Striking against job cuts, 7:30pm – 9:30pm, Hanover Room,Brighthelm Centre, North Road (corner of Queens Rd),5 mins from Brighton station

Thursday

Regular organisational meeting, 5pm, meet Falmer common room

Please add any additional meetings or events to the comments below

SUPPORT THE OCCUPATION AGAINST THE CUTS

Demonstrate 12.30 TODAY Tuesday Feb 9^th

Assemble Library Square, March to Bramber House

Show management that Students and Staff support the occupiers.

Bring musical instruments, drums, noise-makers. Write your views on the ‘Stop the Cuts Wall’ outside Bramber House

Occupation Statement 1

We have occupied the top floor of Bramber House, University of Sussex, Brighton. There are 106 of us.

The decision to occupy has been taken after weeks of concerted campaigning during which the university management have repeatedly failed to take away the threat of compulsory redundancies and course cuts.

We recognise that an attack on education workers is an attack on us.

The room we have occupied is not a lecture theatre but a conference centre. As such, we are not disrupting the education of our fellow students; rather, we are disrupting a key part of management’s strategy to run the university as a profitable business.

They’re occupying everywhere in waves across California, New York, Greece, Croatia, Germany and Austria and elsewhere – and not only in the universities. We send greetings of solidarity and cheerful grins to all those occupation movements and everyone else fighting the pay cuts, cuts in services and jobs which will multiply everywhere as bosses and states try and pull out of the crisis.

But we are the crisis.

Profitability means nothing against the livelihoods destroyed, lost homes, austerity measures, green or otherwise. We just heard we’ve increased ‘operational costs’ – they’d set out the building for a meeting and now they’ll have to do it again

We’ll show them “operational costs.”

Occupy again and again and again.

NO CUTS ANYWHERE.

THE UNIVERSITY IS A FACTORY. STRIKE. OCCUPY.

-All the occupiers of the 8th of February.

Protest in Bramber House

The demo has come to Bramber House and a large group of students are currently on the roof with banners and fighting spirit. Security are currently barring the doors, but there is a large group of people outside. Come and join us now!