For the past two weeks, first year Manchester student Chris has been living in one of his university buildings. It’s not that he’s left his essays until the last minute and is having to camp out in the library – he and a group of fellow students are occupying one of the main campus buildings, in protest of their treatment over the past year.
Students have already proved this year that occupying campus buildings works. Last term, a group of students occupying Owens Park Tower at Manchester Uni won a 30 per cent rent refund for semester one, for all students living in halls. Every student in Manchester halls won over four weeks’ rent – up to £900 – back.
Students at four universities around the country have launched campus occupations in protest over their treatment by their universities this year.
Groups of students at Manchester, Nottingham, Sheffield and Sheffield Hallam are occupying university buildings. Amongst other things, they’re demanding rent refunds, tuition fee rebates, an end to university staff job cuts, and an end to the increased security measures and police patrols they’ve seen on campus.
They’re having to contend withuniversity security, and having meetings with university and SU officials regarding their demands. But they’ve got makeshift sleeping areas with pillows and sleeping bags, places to shower, “plenty of food”, and are being sent food deliveries by people supporting them.
How do feel about your security assaulting students @sheffhallamuni ? pic.twitter.com/a4jp6snyR2
Today, an updated Tweet showed the aftermath of the event. The Hallam student is shown in the photo to have large yellow bruises on his leg from where the security guard threw him to the floor.
Pretty huge bruise that’s come through on the leg of the student assaulted by security on Thursday evening pic.twitter.com/NTUGjkJYlt
The student, who wished to remain anonymous, told The Sheffield Tab: “I feel really unsafe around staff that are meant to be there to protect us, and upset that Hallam would employ people who are so poorly trained and quick to use violence to resolve an otherwise peaceful protest.
The university has said they are aware of the incident and are investigating.
How do feel about your security assaulting students @sheffhallamuni ? pic.twitter.com/a4jp6snyR2
It comes after students at Sheffield Hallam University occupied the Cantor building late on Thursday night as part of a rent strike protest.
A student involved, who asked to remain anonymous, said they were: “Protesting peacefully until the security guard threw (the boy in the video) to floor.
“They were chased across the ground and the security guards screamed, ‘wait until I get my hands on you’. They were being very angry and aggressive.”