Controversy over support for Birmingham protesters at Student Council meeting

The second Student Council meeting of this term, which discussed  the Students’ Union (SU) policy on campus postering, a new method for future meetings, and a petition regarding recent protests at Birmingham University, took place on Monday 17 February.

First year student councillor Cindy Asokan asked Warwick SU to send an email to all its members asking them to sign a petition for the reinstatement of five students who were suspended from  Birmingham University following national protests on January 29.

Reports in The Independent stated West Midlands Police held protesters in a “kettle” for up to four hours without access to food, water or toilet facilities.

The policy was seconded by social science undergraduate faculty representative Miguel Costa Matos who said: “The police potentially acted unlawfully in kettling protestors.  The University of Birmingham Guild of Students failed to [defend their students and the right to protest on campus] in their immediate response to the protest.”

SU president Ben Sundell explained that he had a “few issues” with the motion. He commented: “I think the motion is presenting one side of the argument -some of the claims in this motion are unverified”.

Mr Sundell cited the reports of unlawful action – graffiti, vandalism and use of firecrackers – on the part of protesters and went on to express his doubts: “I’m not sure if this is our place to wade in and say this is what Warwick thinks when Birmingham aren’t even sure what they think about it.”

Miguel Costa Matos disagreed:”There have been claims and [they are] very serious ones backed by the press, by Amnesty International and a number of other groups saying that the police in this case violated a number of human rights – civil rights – about protesting.”

Former SU president and postgraduate student councillor Nick Swain also expressed his opinion on the motion and supported Mr Sundell. He said: “We can’t do this…We’d be making potentially libellous statements, basically saying that the University of Birmingham are completely wrong.”

Mr Swain concluded his objection: “Don’t vote for this. It is a load of crap.”

The motion was defeated.

Today, three of the five students suspended were reinstated by Birmingham Univeristy.

The meeting also discussed four project funding bids. Amnesty obtained £400 for the University’s first ever Gender and Development Conference; Warwick Latin & Ballroom unsuccessfully requested £180 for new speakers; and Warwick Mobile Robotics received £750 towards entering a search-and-rescue robot into and attending an international competition.

Lauren Rutter who represented the Warwick Mobile Robotics funding bid said: “We’ve already got money to build the robot and go to the European competition. This year we want to take it to the world competition.”

A motion to change the procedure on future “uncontroversial” motions was also proposed. The motion resolved that any policy or business raised to which no council member raises an objection or requests an amendment will pass to vote without further discussion.

The SU’s policy on posters – to lobby Warwick University to relax its limits on students displaying posters around campus – was renewed with only an amendment to mandate the Sports Officer to lobby the university as well as the Societies Officer.

The next student council meeting will be held on Tuesday 6 May.