Students at the University of Birmingham have occupied a building to protest against the recent suspensions of two students for taking part in previous sit-ins.
The original wave of protests centred on the demand for an end to cuts and a living wage for staff. University management responded by spending over £60,000 on getting a legal injunction against protests on campus – enough to pay the living wage in the first place!
Denied the right to legal or union representation in their disciplinary hearings, the two suspended students (plus one other given a final warning) were singled out purely for having taken part in previous occupations and being filmed speaking at the most recent ones.
The measures that university management have taken to suppress peaceful protest must be fought to show that they will not be successful in scaring students from taking action against cuts and privatisation.
