NUS Backs Cops Off Campus day of action – now it must campaign against the closure of ULU and back wider struggle!

Below is copied an email from the NUS Vice President Higher Education, Rachel Wenstone to student union officers on Monday morning. The call for action on Wednesday was arranged at short notice by around 120 student activists last Thursday from a range of local groups, from institutions across the country, in response to the grotesque police brutality and oppressive actions of university management at Sussex, University of London, after occupations and protests sprang up last week after the UCU/Unite/Unison Higher Education and Further Education strike.

It feels like a movement is brewing again, and it’s a very exciting time to be a student activist – but it is abhorrent that we are having to respond to more than 40 students having been arrested last week, and universities banning protest (UoL, Sheffield), suspending students (Sussex), or trying to charge sabbatical officers with £25,000 legal fees (Birmingham).

If NUS is serious about backing this campaign, it must act on these words – mobilise student unions and promise them legal backing against arrests and injunctions. This will provide the confidence that many students need to fight back against the repression from their universities.

NUS must also take account of the reasons these protests have been quashed in the first place, and support those struggles too – the 3 Cosas campaign of outsourced workers at the University of London has been hugely successful in its demands so far, and further strike action has been announced for January. It was as part of that campaign that a student was assaulted and arrested by police after she wrote in chalk on a wall earlier this year. NUS did not get involved in this case – they must explicitly announce their support for 3 Cosas, and against outsourcing and privatisation of university staff which has huge implications for the education sector as a whole.

The occupation of Senate House, which sparked the heavy handed approach of the police and University of London security last week, had within its demands opposition to the closure of the University of London Union. Students have been campaigning against this closure for months now. Unfortunately, NUS has – instead of backing these students’ demands, been undermining that fight by meeting University of London management in private – away from the ULU officers, and effectively bidding against them for pan-London representation. This is a very problematic position to take, and one which undermines this entire struggle. Let us be clear – NUS and constituent member unions have stated their support for ULU, and NUS is going against their wishes. It has even done this with little to no initial consultation – NUS VP Raechel Mattey was suitably vague about who she had spoken to prior to bringing the matter to the NEC, when questioned by NEC members. London unions have indicated that what they want is a union which is political, a hub for student activism, is led by students, and includes the kind of activities and sports which ULU currently provides, not a top-down, bureaucratic, student service centre. The University of London’s brute force is part of their attempts to clamp down on the ‘Save Your Union’ campaign, and unless NUS backs that campaign, it is ignoring, and being silent on, a huge part of the problem, as well as the wishes of its members.

It is good that NUS has taken a position to back the Cops Off Campus struggle – but it must see that this is part of a much wider attempt by university managements’ across the country to clamp down on student representation and democracy. NUS should immediately back 3 Cosas and the Save Your Union campaign at ULU, and cease any negotiations with University of London management.

Dear all,

Over the course of the last week, we’ve seen students across the UK take action on their campuses and in their communities against the sell-off of the student loan book, and supporting staff striking for better pay and conditions. Action and activism we should be proud of.

But this activism has been marred by a heavy-handed response from university management, and in London, disproportionate and confrontational policing.

In Sussex, five students have been suspended from their studies, in Sheffield and Birmingham, university management have attempted to ban protest, whilst in London, the police arrested over 40 students over the course of 24 hours.

On Thursday we released a statement condemning the police response in London, calling on the Mayor of London to set up an inquiry into to the Metropolitan Police tactics and behaviour towards activists.

However we think its important, at this time, to come together in unity and defend one our most basic and celebrated civil liberties – the right to peaceful protest.

We will be supporting the “cops off campus” day of action, organised by the National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts, on Wednesday 11th December. You can see details of the event here:

https://www.facebook.com/events/565580810188930/?ref_dashboard_filter=upcoming&source=1

There will be a peaceful demonstration in London, meeting at 2pm. If you’re in and around London on Wednesday, consider joining. Contact me [rachel.wenstone@nus.org.uk] if you’d like to meet and march with someone.

Consider what action you can take on your campus this Wednesday, and let us know by tweeting on the #copsoffcampus hashtag. I have attached a copy of our Occupations and Protest Guidance for Students’ Unions to help you plan and respond to action.

We will be supporting those students affected by suspensions and those campuses affected by protest injunctions, by writing to university management and pushing them to overturn their decisions.

Please be in touch if you have any questions. Remember that the most effective protest is a peaceful one. Stay safe!

In Unity,
Rachel