After the Student Protests – What next in the Battle against Cuts

After the Student Protests – What next in the Battle against Cuts (Cardiff)
Monday, December 13 · 7:30pm – 9 pm
Shandon Lecture Theatre, Main Building, Cardiff University, Park Place (opp. Student Union Building)

“What parliament does, the streets can undo”

The student protests very nearly defeated the coalition less than six months into its rule.

MPs voted by 323 to 302 to allow fees to rise to up to £9,000 a year. A coalition majority of 80 fell to 21.

This is not the end of the protests, it is the beginning of a new phase of protest. Students, their parents and many, many workers will feel a deeper and more bitter anger after the vote.

The main protests over Margaret Thatcher’s poll tax in the 1980s and 1990 took place after the law was passed—and our side won.

Now it’s time to prepare for the next round of protests, to build for occupations, to strengthen the unity of university, college and school students—and to make links with workers, with strkes looming in the civil service, teaching and lecturing unions and others besides. Thats why Action Against Cuts Cardiff recently voted in favour of calling a Public Forum to discuss “After the Student Protests – What Next in the Battle against cuts?”

The room is booked – Monday 13th December 7.30pm Large Shandon Lecture Theatre, Main Building, Cardiff University. Put the call out to the ConDemned – all students, parents, unemployed, workers, pensioners, friends, neighbours and trade unionists etc – under attack from this Con-Dem government. Invite your friends to join and come along – Its gonna be a right royal meeting……

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CARDIFF CARNIVAL AGAINST THE CUTS

Cardiff Carnival Against the Cuts:
Tuesday 30 November
Meet 3 pm, Nye Bevan Statue, Queen Street (opp. Castle)

As part of the National Day of Action and Walkouts we call on all creative resisters to Walkout of school, college or workplace at, say, 2 pm to come and be part of the Carnival against the Cuts taking place on Queen Street at 3 pm.

We need to crank up our pressure on the government to make sure these politicians don’t smash up our education.

FEEDER MARCHES WILL BE MARCHING TO CONVERGE ON THE CARNIVAL FROM DIFFERENT CAMPUSES, SCHOOLS AND WORKPLACES –

CARDIFF UNIVERSITY MARCH – Assemble 2 pm, outside the Student Union, Park Place

More to be announced shortly

CARNIVAL AGAINST THE CUTS, LIVE MUSIC, POETRY, OTHER LIVE PERFOMANCES, ENTERTAINMENT, POLITICS, TEACH INS: OUR CULTURE

Revolting Student e-mail: actionagainstcutscardiff@gmail.com

http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2010/11/468873.html

Update – Twitter account is down

Hopefully temporary – claim from twitter that we’ve reached limit of status updates and must wait a few hours

In the meantime, suggest you follow: @Thiefree – latest tweet: “Street team are flyering, getting petition signed, getting stuff winched up when possible. #cdfdemo”

Still Solid Crew: This Occupation Continues

Full Press Release soon, in the meantime:

* University Management are preventing:

– Occupiers from accessing toilets

– Lectures from taking place (we are happy for them to take place in the occupied Lecture Theatre)

– Food and water from being delivered easily (we can get around that though!)

– Access to the university internet network

– People from joining the occupation (but you can still support us!)

* We’re Staying Put – Until the university begin negotiations (at the moment they just threaten us periodically, and insist on negotiating with the Student Union)

* We are calling a Rally outside the Main Building at 12 noon – in solidarity with similar demonstrations called by Edinburgh & Sheffield University Occupations

* We are trying to organise teach-ins, ideally these will take place in the occupied space.  If this not possible, they will take place nearby.  Several lecturers are supporting us.

Three Proposed Reforms from ‘TheReallyOpenUniversity’, Leeds

Things to consider: http://reallyopenuniversity.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/three-reforms-for-a-different-future-pdf.pdf

2nd Press Release

Cardiff University Students will continue Occupying Large Shandon Lecture Theatre in the Main Building of Cardiff University over night. The decision was taken by consensus by the ~50 students present at 9.45, shortly before the deadline to leave set by the University Management (10pm).

Cardiff University students will remain in occupation of the Large Shandon Lecture Theatre in the university’s Main Building, Park Place, Cardiff until the university management meaningfully respond to their demands.

By a consensus decision of all students in the room, the occupation continues to put forward the following demands:

* Free movement to and from the occupation

* No victimisation of participants in this occupation or in previous or future actions against fees & cuts

* For Cardiff University to issue a public statement opposing any rise in fees

* For Cardiff University to issue a public statement opposing any education cuts

* Full disclosure of university finances

* Meaningful student and staff participation in budgetary and financial decisions

The occupation received the university’s Estates Manager, who refused to respond to the demands the students have put forth.

The occupation has received statements of support of Plaid Cymru and lecturers’ union the University and College Union, in addition to the following organisations:

PCS Wales, Cardiff Trades Council, Cardiff Against the Cuts, Wales Shop Stewards Network, Right to Work Campaign, Youth Fight for Jobs, Hungry Planet Cooperative, Wales Green Party, Socialist Party, Socialist Worker Party, Communist Party Wales, Cymdeithas ir Iaith Gymraeg, Phil Deacon NUT (PC), Rob Williams UNITE (PC), and the student occupation at Edinburgh University.

Hungry Planet Cooperative also provided food for the occupiers.

Action Against Cuts Cardiff extends its solidarity and support to all other peaceful militant occupations across Britain and all those fighting the neo-liberal consensus of austerity and cuts, whether they be the illegitimate Liberal-Conservative coalition in Westminster or the lapdog administrations in Cardiff, Edinburgh and Belfast. It furthermore condemns the marketisation and privatisation of education and other public goods and services by private companies putting profits before basic human need.

Students and staff from UWIC, University of Glamorgan, and three colleges have also taken part in today’s action at Cardiff.

Follow @CDFUniOccupied on twitter
Homepage: http://www.twitter.com/CDFUniOccupied

Hello world! Here’s some media coverage we’ve received…

Links to text and video:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/cardiff/2010/nov/24/cardiff-student-fee-protests

http://www.itv.com/wales/university-occupied31208/

http://democracyandclasstruggle.blogspot.com/2010/11/wales-cardiff-student-protest-against.html

Thankyou!