Clegg, Cameron, action
Leeds City Centre came to a standstill on Wednesday as an estimated 3,000 students, school-children and supporters marched on the town to voice anger against cuts to higher education and the proposed rise of tuition fees.
In a day of mass action across the country, Leeds protested loudly but peacefully. A series of walk-outs, marches and chants culminated in an occupation of the Michael Sadler building that is still in place as Leeds Student goes to print.
On a bitterly cold morning, the protest began with a scheduled 11am walk out of lectures and schoolrooms across Leeds. Over 1,000 Leeds University students rallied at Parkinson Steps before marching through the city centre, picking up additional students from Leeds Metropolitan University, Leeds City College, and Leeds College of Art and Music.
The protest marched through the city centre to congregate at Leeds Art Gallery for the main rally. Both LUU’s Communications and Internal Affairs officer Rachel Wenstone and Vice President of National Union of Students (NUS) Usman Ali addressed the crowd, with criticism of Nick Clegg generating the loudest cheers.
On the return to Leeds University hundreds of protesters began an occupation of the Michael Sadler building. On leaving University premises shortly after the taking of the building, one policeman was heard to say: “This is up to University security now.”
Several hundred protesters entered the building with some gaining access to the roof. Although the majority wanted a peaceful occupation, a small group of younger teenagers were keen to cause trouble. In a scene reminiscent from the 10 November protest in London, a fire extinguisher was ripped from the wall and taken to the roof. In this instance, however, the unknown male was criticised by the surrounding protestors with one Leeds Uni student forcibly removing the extinguisher and telling him to leave.
The occupiers firmly secured themselves within the Michael Sadler building installing delegated guards on all the doors. The masses congregated within the Rupert Beckett lecture theatre where discussions were held on how to proceed with the demonstration. There were shouts of: “We should target the banks who created this financial mess” and “We shouldn’t leave until Michael Arthur promises not to make a single cut or fire a single member of staff.”
Some students used the platform for more light-hearted concerns with one student demanding: “Freddos should be made 10p again” whilst others suggested more dancing rather than talking.
One of those occupying, third year English Language and Literature student Lorna Gledhill said: “We’re trying to make a bit more of a point than a normal march, we’re demonstrating how involved students should be in their own education and how it really is just as much our space as it is the government’s space.”
By early evening, protestors had settled into the Rupert Beckett lecture theatre for the night with rules in place to regulate behaviour. These included a ban on smoking inside the building and drinking alcohol prohibited to the basement.
The University has said that the occupiers are “technically trespassing”.
Kady Tate, a Leeds Metropolitan student and Leeds Revolution organiser told Leeds Student: “It’s a symbolic thing, people haven’t come and trashed things, they’ve tried to keep things tidy, I think it’s absolutely inspirational.”
Those sitting-in have been given free food by local establishments and parents of local school children who support their cause. The occupiers were even treated to a free yoga class on Thursday morning.
Many lectures have been rescheduled or cancelled whilst the University’s most important lecture theatre remains occupied. Other sections of the Michael Sadler building are functioning as normal, however.
Leeds University Union has lent its support to all peaceful and legal forms of action but has not formally backed the occupation.
The City Council has now given its full backing to the Union’s anti-cuts campaign following a meeting last week where LUU Executive Officers requested councillors’ support.
Liz Kershaw, Radio 6 DJ and Leeds University alumni has also spoken in support of the Union’s campaign, highlighting the importance of a peaceful protest. She told Leeds Student: “So make your voices heard, peacefully. Don’t detract from the message by giving the media the violent sensational images they crave.”
The march also drew in young students from other educational institutions such as Notre Dame and Roundhay High School. Many college students told Leeds Student they were protesting against the loss of the education maintenance allowance. Laura Place, from Leeds College of Art, said: “I can’t come to college next year if I can’t get my EMA.”
Another college student, Augustine, who hopes to go to university in two years time, told Leeds Student: “It’s not fair that we will have pay so much. We will be paying it back for so many years afterwards and so many people cannot go now because their families can’t afford it.”
The march was accompanied by a heavy police presence, many of whom were on horseback, as the West Yorkshire Police took no chances after the events of the recent ‘Demolition’ protest in London.
When Leeds Student asked NUS Vice President Usman Ali about the alleged disapproval of the nationwide protests by NUS he said: “As a national campaign we weren’t against it but because of the actions at Milbank, we couldn’t be seen to be for it.”
He added: “The NUS does endorse a peaceful protest, and today was a peaceful protest”.
A Leeds University spokesperson said: “Many members of staff in the University share the concerns about government cuts to higher education. However, the occupation of the lecture theatre is disrupting the work and study of many students and staff and we are disappointed that lectures are having to be cancelled.”
The bit in this story about Leeds council giving it’s full backing to the unions anti-cuts campaign isn’t actually true. The council has not discussed the speech given by the union to full council at all.
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