All 1 entries tagged Suspensions

Sussex Protests Halted by anti–democratic VC

Writing about web page http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/nosummarysuspensions/signatures?page=8

News coming in about the protests at Sussex University against job cuts.

BBC News (the only online national media outlet to report on the situation so far, by the look of things)

The Stop the Cuts blog - the unions' and students' side of events. Video of riot police presence here.

Sociaist Worker

The most disturbing part of this situation is the High Court Injunction attained by the VC, Mike Farthing, which prevents further occupational protests from taking place, even if they are peaceful - a curtailment on democratic union activity that sounds utterly anti-democratic. Why should one man have the right to prevent the protests of a group of people whose livelihoods and education are at threat?

And this letter just circulated by the UCU, from an academic at Sussex, calling for signatories against the VC's suspension of six students - again, without call for any kind of committee or other democratic process. Does Farthing think he has some kind of martial law authority over the university to protect it from a crisis caused by the government's cuts?

Please sign the petition - this isn't simply about problems caused by the recession, this is about the right to speak out in defence of higher education standards.

Dear all,

I expect few of you will have heard that 6 students have been suspended by
the VC (acting alone) for participating in the occupation of Sussex House
last Wednesday (5 March)

These students are now probibited from coming onto campus (and obviously
too to participate in lectures and submit any examination work etc.)

There is a petition asking their reinstatement.

Signatories can add a comment and these can be very interesting, so please
do not shy from doing this if you feel you have something to say.

The VC has also got an injunction from the High Court preventing any
student protest on campus (which is not specifically authorised).

The students have responed by calling on students to come on Library Square
to have their individual picture taken with a placard saying 'I too
participated in the occupation of 5 March'. They say they have already more
than 100 people who have had their picture taken.

I feel the bypassing of normal procedure if there was ground for
disciplinary action (which so far has certainly not publicly surfaced) is
extremely worrying, looking like a rather poor and in that case
counterproductive) attempt by the VC to resort to the most undemocratic and
alienating means to stifle protest.

Although the police have not been viciously brutal, there was an extremely
heavy police presence on campus which relying witnesses say was completely
disproportionate and though spray was not used, it was apparently
threatened.

While there already was a 'Stop the Cuts' campaign at Sussex (116 posts are
at risk with management refusing to contemplate the 'Unique Solution'
offered by the Union which would involve voluntary fractionalization of
contracts), it looks like we now also need to have a campaign to defend the
right to protest.

George Ttoouli : 10 Mar 2010 13:01 |  Tags: Politics Protest Student Suspensions Sussex Ucu |  Comments (1) |  Close comments |  Report a problem