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Students at University of Sheffield Occupation Threatened With Court Injunction

Sheffield Occupation | 03.12.2010 12:07 | Education | Public sector cuts | Workers' Movements | Sheffield

The University has applied for a court injunction to evict students from their peaceful occupation against higher fees and cuts in the Richard Roberts Building at the University of Sheffield.



The occupation is now supported by Sheffield Student’s Union, Sheffield UCU, John McDonnell MP, Jeremy Corbyn MP, Ken Loach - film maker, Mary Anne Hobbs - former Radio 1 DJ, Sheffield NUJ, Sheffield Green Party, University of Sheffield Labour Students and Sheffield Right to Work Campaign.

The occupation is still allowing all lectures to go ahead and also organising additional lectures. There is no disruption to students whatsoever and there is study rooms available for all students which wish to join in the protest.

The committee of the Sheffield University branch of UCU said, “Your action is a welcome practical expression of the fight against this Government's spurious, elitist and anti-social “education” policy… The cuts to education, the axing of the education maintenance allowance, the proposed trebling of tuition fees and now the proposed abolition of AimHigher should all be strongly opposed.”

We’re building for the events at the weekend now, which include a demonstration at 12 on Saturday, assembling on the concourse outside the SU, and a public rally on Sunday at 4 in the occupation where we will be joined by Trade Unionists from Sheffield.

Sheffield Occupation
- e-mail: occupation.sheffield@gmail.com
- Homepage: http://sheffieldoccupation.tumblr.com/

Additions

University of Sheffield Attempts to Ban All Protests on Campus Indefinitely

03.12.2010 16:39

The University of Sheffield is seeking a high court injunction to put an indefinite ban on all political protests on campus. The injunction was served at 13.30 on Friday 3rd December to the students occupying the Richards Roberts Building, giving them just two hours to attain legal representation and attend an appeal at the high court in London at 15.45. The University of Sheffield is in the city of deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg who before the general election campaigned to ‘scrap bad laws’.

The main case for the injunction is the claim that students which have been occupying the Richard Roberts building since Tuesday in protest against higher tuition fees and education cuts have been disrupting education at the University. In fact, lectures and seminars have been going ahead without any disruption at all.

The occupiers believe that this is a fundamental challenge to the right to protest. They are currently seeking an adjournment to court proceedings in order to prepare a legal defence and attain proper legal representation. The protest, which has remained peaceful throughout, has had a wide level of support from various groups and individuals including Sheffield Student’s Union, Sheffield UCU, John McDonnell MP, Jeremy Corbyn MP, Ken Loach - film maker, Mary Anne Hobbs - former Radio 1 DJ, Sheffield NUJ, Sheffield Green Party, University of Sheffield Labour Students and Sheffield Right to Work Campaign.

Sheffield Occupation
- Homepage: http://sheffieldoccupation.tumblr.com/


Update!

03.12.2010 22:24

The hearing in London went ahead. We had phone communication with the Judge in the courtroom, and were in constant contact with the proceedings. It was discovered that an injunction hearing had been held at 11am, and that the judge had passed the injunction - meaning that the University could potentially evict us. One occupier was remotely involved in the second hearing, in which the Judge granted a possession order. This allows the University to call on bailiffs to physically remove us. We have not been officially served, however this is not required in order for bailiffs to evict us. It is worth reinforcing that we have not been able to produce a legal defence due to the sudden nature of the court case, and management have not responded to our requests to talk.

Shockingly, the Judge was forced to amend the University injunction application, which had originally stated an indefinite ban on any protest action anywhere on campus that did not have explicit University permission. This attack on the freedom of political expression is in breach of the Human Right to Freedom of Speech and Freedom of Assembly, and is a disgraceful assault by the University on its students. The amendment limited the possession order to the specification of the occupation of the Richard Roberts building.

We have been seeking, with the help of the Student Union, talks with University management to discuss the situation. They have refused. We have been attempting to reach Aaron Porter for the legal, financial and political aid he promised to occupations, a form of protest he claims to support. He has been unreachable.

The occupation is still ongoing, and we will continue to build and facilitate meetings and events. Come along, your support is more important now than ever.

Sheffield Ocupation
- Homepage: http://sheffieldoccupation.tumblr.com/post/2084525612/update


Comments

Hide the following 3 comments

University of Sheffield Attempts to Ban All Protests on Campus Indefinitely?

03.12.2010 17:26

For some of us those who are involved gives us reason not to support this occupation. The SWP and AFED in the same bed together, self proclaimed vanguards of the working class need any more be said?

As always a mass popular uprising has been taken over for the self interest and political gain of The SWP and AFED I doubt that The University of Sheffield is attempting to ban all protests on campus Indefinitely, they like the rest of might be somewhat fed up of self proclaimed vanguards of the working class, making out there being victimised when the opposite might be the fact.

The reasons for your occupation, one supports but I can not bring myself to be involved with who I feel to be the vanguard of the working class.

Dave


Injunction?

03.12.2010 19:10

So what happened in court?

UCL also sought an injunction today - but the case was adjourned until Tuesday.

Universities' Lament:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUwdykWnr6M

Dave Lucas


Sheffield Against Cuts and Students:

04.12.2010 06:48

First off, it would be churlish not to show admiration for the emergence of a new student movement in Sheffield. After a quiet time at the end of the last academic year, with established groups struggling to keep going, it is great to see new faces and new energy being injected into student politics. Taking the step of symbolically occupying the Great Hall was a brilliant way of starting a movement amongst students in Nottingham.

However, I have to ask, what's next? The occupation is doubtless an embarassment for and an irritation to the university managers, but it isn't going to force them to change. Sooner or later numbers at the occupation will dwindle and the university can always call on their goon squad to bundle the protesters out into the snow. The last occupation fizzled out after eviction as some protesters tried, unsuccessfully, to engage with the managers. Without any leverage their overtures were ignored and dissent was neutralised.

The occupiers need to have a long-term strategy. Do they put their efforts into maintaining an occupation that seems, in the absence of a militant attitude, destined to be transient? Do they try to extend the occupation, by taking over more vital parts of the university to force the managers to respond? Do they follow the example of occupiers at UEA who decided to end their occupation on their own terms and save their energies for further action? Most importantly, the occupiers need to think about how they can further the broader anti-cuts movement. We need to think bigger than just making demands of the university's governors. We need to think about how we can defeat the tuition fees legislation, bring down the coalition government and take back control of our lives.

There is no doubt that by opening up a space through occupation is liberatory for those involved. But a small liberated space is not enough. We need to keep opening up free spaces. Networks of free spaces need to grow and spread until the spaces of capital and authority are isolated and weakened enough to be destroyed.

The cuts are provoking a crisis and creating an opportunity for radical change. So far the students have exploited this opportunity well and taken the authorities on the back foot. However, the movement is starting to look anxious about these new found freedoms. I would urge the students and everyone else who is fighting the corrupt political system not to hesitate but to push onwards. The mood in the country hasn't been this favourable to the realisation of our desires for a long time and we need to take the struggle as far as we possibly can.

Keep moving comrades, the future is just around the corner!

Animal


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