Fifth press release from Roscoe Occupation at the University of Manchester

After a highly successful events day at the occupied lecture theatre, involving activities outside the Roscoe Building and meetings within the lecture theatre, a further meeting was held at five pm to discuss where next for the movement.

The day was spent campaigning on campus as well as in local colleges to drum up further support for the anti-cuts and fees movement. The occupiers designed leaflets, made banners, petitioned and spoke to as many people as they could. During the meetings in the lecture theatre several guest speakers addressed a packed lecture theatre, containing University of Manchester, Manchester Metropolitan and University of Salford students as well as students from various colleges around the region, union representatives, parents, lecturers, political activists and more. Jean Shaoul, Lawrence Kaye and Japhy Wilson all gave interesting and thought provoking speeches on subjects relevant to the protest.

After a long open floor session, a delegation of students made its way to the University of Manchester Student Union where a meeting to discuss the cuts was taking place. Considering that the SU had not released any statement in support of the occupation, and the fact that for the previous two days the occupation had been the base of support for the anti-cut movements, the delegation tabled a movement to hold the meeting in the occupied lecture theatre instead. The result ruled unanimously in favour of this motion.

During the meeting several proposals were passed:

• To hold a meeting at noon in the occupied theatre on Monday.
• To remain in occupation for the duration of the weekend, despite being told by the university that we’d be locked in.
• To hold a rally on Tuesday as part of the national protest day, outside University Place.
• To send a delegation down to London for the national coordination meeting on Sunday. The delegates are to stay with the University College London occupation on Saturday night.

The occupiers would like to make clear their dissatisfaction with the university’s decision to close the Roscoe Building through the weekend. The management committee are not allowing access to the building for food deliveries or water deliveries, as well as turning the heating off for the weekend. We see this as an attempt to starve us out of the building and evict us through force, which is an unacceptable response to a peaceful protest.

We are always grateful for any more support and assistance.

Send messages of support to manunioccupation2010@gmail.com