Support grows for University of Sussex protest

3:00pm Wednesday 20th February 2013 in News By Ben James

Yellow posters in the windows of University of Sussex buildings show support for the occupation Yellow posters in the windows of University of Sussex buildings show support for the occupation

Hundreds of posters have appeared across campus windows in a show of support for a university protest.

With students preparing to mark the occupation’s two week anniversary tomorrow (February 21), controversial comedian Frankie Boyle has become the latest well known figure to have announced support for the campaign.

The activists, who have taken over the top floor of the University of Sussex’s Bramber Building, are protesting against the privatisation of campus catering and facility management jobs.

A spokesman for the protesters said: “I think they’re starting to realise they might be in trouble. There is so much support from both on and off campus.”

University bosses announced last year that 235 campus jobs would be offered out to the highest external bidder.

They say they have fully consulted workers, unions and students – a claim the protesters dispute.

A mass rally was held on February 7 after which a small group of students stormed the university’s main administration building.

They were joined by a further 100 to 200 activists following another protest on February 21.

Yellow ribbons and posters can be seen in hundreds of university windows, and have become synonymous with the protest.

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A student spokesman said: “It’s not just students who have been putting them up as the university would like to think. It is also the campus and teaching staff.”

The protest has received messages of support from across the globe, including the backing of many famous faces.

Famous names

Along with Frankie Boyle, social commentator Noam Chomksy, director Ken Loach, BAFTA-winning actor Peter Capaldi and author Will Self are among hundreds who have sent their support.

In a letter to senior members of staff last week, Michael Farthing said if the protest continued money would be taken from the student union, teaching and research budgets.

Students dismissed the letter as a “pathetic attempt to impede their right to protest” adding they were trying to “cause division”.

They also claimed university bosses are trying to intimidate them by using a police dog to patrol the campus.

A university spokeswoman said dogs were used on campus as part of “routine duties” and were “categorically not” brought in to manage the occupation.

She added: “Around 2,200 staff work on our campus and around 4,000 students live in campus residences, most of whom will from time to time display all sorts of posters, pictures and campaigning materials.

“There are no plans to ask staff or students to remove displays from their offices or residences.”

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Comments(17)

lordenglandofsussex says...
3:46pm Wed 20 Feb 13

Frankie Boyle, the perfect torch bearer of the left, exemplifying every virtue which includes bad taste, smugness, contradiction, lack of decency and a penchant for encouraging violence against opposing views.

Who said Communism was dead?

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RottingdeanRant says...
3:59pm Wed 20 Feb 13

I hope they are all paying university fees for wasting their studying time!

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Cyril Bolleaux says...
4:04pm Wed 20 Feb 13

Please could you pass on the message that local celebrity Cyril Bolleaux does not support them.

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Andy R says...
4:09pm Wed 20 Feb 13

The sour carping from the usual sociopathic misfits on here only adds to the warm glow I should think.

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elephantsandowls says...
4:42pm Wed 20 Feb 13

Why are people here so negative?

So far it's been a peaceful demonstration .
No yahoos chucking estinguishers off roofs, no spoilt brats attemping to burn down things thinking there will be no consequences, no physical attacks on anyone working. No stealing of boots either.

This is a good protest sofar . Students are getting a point across without violence, and I believe they could win.

The "source out scheme" was tried by the same people at another uni (can't remember where sorry) and it failed pitifully.

I believe in the right to PEACEFUL protest all the way. And I'm certainly no torchbearer of the left....

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dawind says...
4:57pm Wed 20 Feb 13

I support ALL forms of protest.
Anything that sends a message of defiance to Neo-Cons is all right by me.
PS Noam Chomsky....Get in Sussex!

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RottingdeanRant says...
4:57pm Wed 20 Feb 13

elephantsandowls wrote:
Why are people here so negative?

So far it's been a peaceful demonstration .
No yahoos chucking estinguishers off roofs, no spoilt brats attemping to burn down things thinking there will be no consequences, no physical attacks on anyone working. No stealing of boots either.

This is a good protest sofar . Students are getting a point across without violence, and I believe they could win.

The "source out scheme" was tried by the same people at another uni (can't remember where sorry) and it failed pitifully.

I believe in the right to PEACEFUL protest all the way. And I'm certainly no torchbearer of the left....
Peaceful maybe but they have 'taken over the top floor of the University of Sussex’s Bramber Building’ which I assume stops others from using it? Can’t really see what business it is of the students how the uni chooses to run its business. I guess they could all choose to take their fees elsewhere!

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bluemonday says...
5:28pm Wed 20 Feb 13

they'll soon get bored when they realise nobody really knows about this protest or cares either,i think it's great that there locked in on the top floor where they're not bothering anybody and the other thousands of students can get on with studying,or going up town getting hammered,bless em at least we know the future of this country is in safe hands.

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elephantsandowls says...
6:02pm Wed 20 Feb 13

"I guess they could all choose to take their fees elsewhere!"
EXCELLENT idea.
take your 9000 quid elsewhere, and hit where it REALLY hurts....

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theleftygiraffe says...
6:02pm Wed 20 Feb 13

RottingdeanRant wrote:
I hope they are all paying university fees for wasting their studying time!
Yeah, wasting time supporting the jobs and rights of 235 people... bloody students and their morals.

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elephantsandowls says...
6:07pm Wed 20 Feb 13

Goodness me I'm in agreement with the lefty giraffe. Perhaps Schroedinger's cat is dead? Either that or perhaps there should be elections reaaaaaaaaaaaaaal soon.

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Cyril Bolleaux says...
8:05pm Wed 20 Feb 13

Andy R wrote:
The sour carping from the usual sociopathic misfits on here only adds to the warm glow I should think.
You're not that bad Mr R but shouldn't you be working or is this your taxpayer funded Union time?

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Somethingsarejustwrong says...
10:08pm Wed 20 Feb 13

Cyril Bolleaux wrote:
Andy R wrote:
The sour carping from the usual sociopathic misfits on here only adds to the warm glow I should think.
You're not that bad Mr R but shouldn't you be working or is this your taxpayer funded Union time?
I disagree, everything this poster supports is fundamentally wrong and relies on hard working people paying the costs incurred by those miscreants who are happy to be on a free ride.

Report this post »

dawind says...
11:34pm Wed 20 Feb 13

Somethingsarejustwro
ng wrote:
Cyril Bolleaux wrote:
Andy R wrote:
The sour carping from the usual sociopathic misfits on here only adds to the warm glow I should think.
You're not that bad Mr R but shouldn't you be working or is this your taxpayer funded Union time?
I disagree, everything this poster supports is fundamentally wrong and relies on hard working people paying the costs incurred by those miscreants who are happy to be on a free ride.
Some things are just wrong eg this post.

Report this post »

Martha Gunn says...
11:51pm Wed 20 Feb 13

Not true Ben James and not a scintilla of evidence for your (or the Sub-editor's) headline. Farthing and Duffy have approached this issue rather gently so far and you present no word, not a single idea, no mention whatsoever, about their reasons for wanting a more rational management of the resources at Sussex.

But the issue has now been hijacked by the Socialist Party (aka Militant Tendency) loonies and the fruit loops supporters of Ms. Brussels Lucas.

The reaction of the former is entirely predictable. But the Green Party is just adding another episode to its complete disregard of the interest of the city. They are determined to provide the handcart in which we shall all be driven to hell.

Does Ms. Lucas ever talk to the people who make this city work, give it a living and keep it ticking over? I doubt it.

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Somethingsarejustwrong says...
9:18pm Thu 21 Feb 13

dawind wrote:
Somethingsarejustwro

ng wrote:
Cyril Bolleaux wrote:
Andy R wrote:
The sour carping from the usual sociopathic misfits on here only adds to the warm glow I should think.
You're not that bad Mr R but shouldn't you be working or is this your taxpayer funded Union time?
I disagree, everything this poster supports is fundamentally wrong and relies on hard working people paying the costs incurred by those miscreants who are happy to be on a free ride.
Some things are just wrong eg this post.
If I valued your views I would have invited them now hush up

Report this post »

RickVictory says...
9:58pm Sun 17 Mar 13

Support to students at University of Sussex from a student at University of Gloucestershire. I commend you all for taking a stand for what you believe in. Maybe if more people were to take a stand, this country would not be in the state it is in.

Kudos, you are in the right!!

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