Protest, police and piss: Warwick takes action

Students occupied the Arts Centre Conference Room (ACCR) on Wednesday, protesting the Government’s proposed cuts and looming rise in university tuition fees. The occupation followed a protest march and lasted until Thursday morning. Organisers have planned further action.

The march started on the Piazza at midday, where participants congregated before marching to University House. Once there they were met with barriers and security guards. Some students clashed briefly with security at the barriers.

The march consisted of around 250 Warwick students, lecturers, UCU representatives, sixth form pupils and Sabbatical Officers, according to the organisers.

Students stormed the Arts Centre and occupied the ACCR at 1:00pm. Around 70 students took the room peacefully despite some issues with Security.

The organisers stated that the occupation was to protest against the marketisation of higher education and to create a “truly free and democratic education” space.

“Free education is a right, but we have to fight for it,” explained Aidan Barlow of the Socialist Worker Student Society.

Once the students had occupied the room, Security blocked the doors and stopped anyone else from entering. Students were not allowed to leave and re-enter, even to use the toilet. This also made the aim of holding workshops and talks difficult.

The students issued a list of demands and said the occupation would not end until they were met.

These demands included that:

– The University oppose the Government’s plans for restructuring education
– The Vice Chancellor use his influence within the Russell Group to oppose the plans
– The University’s budgets and budget plans be opened
– People be allowed to leave and re-enter the ACCR to access food, water and sanitation facilities
– The University clarify the position of the Security team guarding the room
– The protestors have immunity from punishment by University authorities
– The most senior authority figure on campus meet them to discuss their demands
– The University allow individual departments the right to protest the changes.

Students’ Union Sabbatical officers met with University representatives, the Registrar and Deputy Registrar to negotiate on behalf of the students in the ACCR.

The University responded to the occupation by offering to allow students to move and occupy another room. This was rejected as the organisers felt that if were they going to leave the room it would be on their own terms. An offer to send representatives to meet with Vice Chancellor Nigel Thrift was also rejected as the occupiers did not feel anyone could represent the group as a whole. Instead the VC was extended an invitation to visit the ACCR, which was declined.

The Sabbatical Officers also negotiated to allow the students to use the toilets and re-enter the room. However, four hours later there were few signs of progress. Students within the ACCR began to use a pot to relieve themselves. Once filled the pot was delivered to Security, who cleaned and then returned it. Students were later allowed to use the Arts Centre facilities for a short period.

The SU set up a Skype link between the ACCR and a meeting room in SUHQ, which was intended to be used for workshops and teaching sessions.

When the Arts Centre closed at 11:00pm the occupiers were advised that they could stay in the ACCR but that if they left the room they would be escorted off the premises.

Education Officer Sean Ruston later said that the University were “stopping you [the occupiers] from practicing your right to protest by not allowing you to go to the toilets.”

About 15 students spent the night in the ACCR. The organisers said they were proud of the turnout for the march and the occupation. The protestors said that despite the cold weather, the air conditioning had been left on in the room, which kept them awake. Security remained outside the ACCR throughout the night.

The occupation ended early on Thursday morning when the students elected to leave at around 8:30am, as there were too few people to uphold the initial aims of providing free education. The University had decided to move all lectures scheduled to be in the ACCR and those involved had not intended to disrupt education.

Additionally, the issue of Security not allowing anyone to enter the ACCR meant that there were not enough protesters left to hold the room. They did not want to be “occupying for the sake of occupation,” explained Megan Fortune.

The remaining students performed one final act: leaving a pot filled with urine in University House for the Vice Chancellor.

Organisers held an open meeting on Thursday evening to discuss plans for further actions. They plan to hold a teach-in on Tuesday in the SU.

Michael Adesite, a second year PAIS student who was not involved in the march, said he felt it would not have a significant impact but that it is good students are making their voices heard.

“[It] actually didn’t have a big impact,” said David Reed, a student who was not involved in the occupation. “People didn’t realise what was going on.”

“This is necessary,” countered third-year English student Cameron McArdle. It shows that “people are angry”. He admits that while he is opposed to the rise in fees, it is a complicated issue.

Lenny Shail, a second-year History student and member of Socialist Students, said that the protestors were acting “in solidarity” and that the NUS’s London demonstration “can’t be the end”.

The feeling that every university should do something “in solidarity with each other” was echoed by Anna Chowcat, Treasurer of Warwick Labour. Vincent Hammersby, the President of Warwick UCU, commented that the protest was “very noble” as the students themselves wouldn’t be affected by the cuts and so were acting on behalf of younger students.

Commenting on the occupation, Kate Cox, a University spokesperson, said: “Whilst it is inconvenient, we recognise the students’ right to demonstrate in a peaceful democratic way. We fully understand the reasoning behind the demonstration.”

The Students’ Union has voiced support for the occupation and its aims. Ruston lauded it as “a great peaceful protest”.

“I think we should be throwing everything at it [government cuts and fees] – all kinds of methods really.”

This march and occupation mirrored what happened at other university campuses across the country. Protests also took place in London, where demonstrators clashed with riot police.

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