By IRNA,
London : Several student occupations, including at Kent University in Canterbury, south-east England, and at Camberwell College of Art in London, have vowed to continue their sit-ins over Christmas.
Sit-ins have been staged at dozens of education institutions for over a month as part of nationwide protests against the government’s controversial plans to cut university funding by trebling tuition fees up to £9,000 a year.
The occupation of the Senate building at the University of Kent by students and lecturers started after Vice-principal Professor Dame Julia Goodfellow signed a letter to the Daily Telegraph on December 8, supporting the government’s proposal in education cuts.
“We stand in solidarity against the tripling of tuition fees and the brutal cuts to education, alongside other student occupations happening all over the UK, and Europe,” they said in a petition.
“We are standing in solidarity with all other individuals and groups who will be negatively affected by the savage, unnecessary and wholly immoral cuts proposed by this coalition government,” the petition said, according to a copy obtained by IRNA.
The students are demanding that the vice-principal retracts her signature from the Telegraph letter, publicly condemns the government plans and “to publicly apologise on the University’s website to all students and staff.”
The petition also calls for “no victimisation of any staff or students involved in any peaceful direct action” and for free access to the Senate building for all students, staff, and invited press during the occupation.
At the beginning of the sit-in, the students declined an offer of pizzas from vice-chancellor, saying that they would not put food before principles and suggesting that the gift be distributed instead to the homeless population of Canterbury.
The National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts, coordinating student protests, are planning more meetings and demonstrations in the new year despite parliament voting for the government’s proposals.