We are under siege, say student protestors

9:20am Saturday 9th February 2013 in News By Ben James

We are under siege, say student protestors We are under siege, say student protestors

Up to 40 activists are holed up in a university building in protest against the privatisation of campus jobs.

The students stormed the University of Sussex’s Bramber House on Thursday afternoon and took con trol of the top floor conference centre.

Between 30 and 40 protestors spent their second night in the building last night with campus security guarding all entrances and exits.

Members of the group have issued a set of demands to university bosses and are refusing to come down until they are met.

Speaking yesterday, Adriano Merola, 22, said: “We feel very strongly about this and want to make sure our voices are heard.

“Security staff have stopped us bringing in food and drink and they’ve turned the heating off. It’s like we’re under siege.”

The university said today the students were not under siege and entirely free to leave any time they wish.

It says they are also being given access to food, water and toilets while they remain. 

The university also says the heating has not been switched off but is on an automatic timer and does not run overnight since nobody sleeps or lives in the building.

The student action is in response to the university’s decision to privatise its catering and facility management services.

University registrar John Duffy said: “This is a long-term strategic development to ensure that we can enhance and develop the high-quality services we provide to our students and staff as we grow, with stuent numbers increasing from fewer than 11,000 in 2008 to a projected 18,000 by 2018.”

A spokeswoman added that 235 university staff affected would all be transferred with no job losses planned.

Protestors argue the university is simply passing services to the highest bidder.

They claim the move will not only see a vast amount of money passing from the public to private sector, but also have a negative impact on employees and students.

Comments(15)

monkeymoo says...
10:00am Sat 9 Feb 13

Send in the S.A.S

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Maxwell's Ghost says...
10:02am Sat 9 Feb 13

Why don't the students use their skills to help the staff create a company which tenders for the work.
Sitting in an empty building has never achieved anything sadly. I guess none are studying history.

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Dave At Home says...
10:53am Sat 9 Feb 13

Where is the story about PACA kicking out 25 students, front page on the printed rag but not on-line. Looks like someone has been nobbled.

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Ballroom Blitz says...
10:55am Sat 9 Feb 13

Dave At Home wrote:
Where is the story about PACA kicking out 25 students, front page on the printed rag but not on-line. Looks like someone has been nobbled.
Is there any reason why they shouldn't kick them out?

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bug eye says...
12:14pm Sat 9 Feb 13

antisocial behaviour whether on the university campus or in the community where they live must mean expulsion from their course. students need to take responsibility.

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whereisthe...? says...
12:15pm Sat 9 Feb 13

Good on them.

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AmboGuy says...
1:19pm Sat 9 Feb 13

So they think they're under siege???

You can't be under siege if you choose to be there and are free to leave at any time!

The level of stupidity of some of these 'protesters' is simply staggering.

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MuammarQaddafi says...
2:04pm Sat 9 Feb 13

Crikey! My wife turns the heat down at night, and there's no staff on hand to bring ME all-hours takeaway ... I'm under siege too!

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Mr Walloff Domburg says...
4:53pm Sat 9 Feb 13

I hope these students are expelled from uni. They do not deserve to study, albeit Sociology or something equally as pointless.

Student radicals..........wh
at a bunch of losers.

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PorkBoat says...
5:06pm Sat 9 Feb 13

Turn the hoses on them!

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Bob Brecher says...
5:47pm Sat 9 Feb 13

Unlike the Vice Chancellor and the Registrar of the University of Sussex, the occupiers understand both what a university is -- or ought to be -- and their own responsibility, as students and academics, not to remain bystanders as the neo-liberal revolutionaries carry out their "shock and awe" policies. Perhaps the senior management simply don't understand the nature of their own corruption of the very idea of a university; if so, they may care to read the impeccably liberal Michael Sandel's What Money Can't Buy.

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Somethingsarejustwrong says...
7:29pm Sat 9 Feb 13

Bob Brecher wrote:
Unlike the Vice Chancellor and the Registrar of the University of Sussex, the occupiers understand both what a university is -- or ought to be -- and their own responsibility, as students and academics, not to remain bystanders as the neo-liberal revolutionaries carry out their "shock and awe" policies. Perhaps the senior management simply don't understand the nature of their own corruption of the very idea of a university; if so, they may care to read the impeccably liberal Michael Sandel's What Money Can't Buy.
What a complete load of old tosh. You would do well to refrain from further posting until you can think logically and evaluate and censor your ridiculous thoughts.

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anonymous coward says...
7:42pm Sat 9 Feb 13

Disgusting behaviour. They should just do as they're told and feel lucky for what they're given. Who are they to try to drive their future?

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Bob Brecher says...
9:01pm Sat 9 Feb 13

Is "Somethingsarejustwr
ong" really as stupid as they appear to be? it seems they can't even understand what they themselves are saying, let alone anyone else's comments.

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Somethingsarejustwrong says...
8:57am Sun 10 Feb 13

Bob Brecher wrote:
Is "Somethingsarej
ustwr
ong" really as stupid as they appear to be? it seems they can't even understand what they themselves are saying, let alone anyone else's comments.
Bob, there you go again, now hush up please.

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