Student Struggle Continues - Glasgow Uni Occupies Again

[Sam_b]

Today saw unicersity students at Glasgow University take back whats theirs and have reclaimed the Hetherington Research Club.

The club, a study space for Postgraduate and Mature Students, closed over a year ago despite mass opposition and has since been lying disused. Today, activists from Glasgow Uni Anti Cuts Action Network and supporters seized the building and have reopened it indefinitely, as an open space for students to study, hold workshops, and organise cultural events. As of today this is being indefinitely run by students for students - reflected in our demand for the University Management to recognise this and reopen the building.

Currently, there are no plans for students to vacate the presmises. Although an 'occupation', we are encouraging students to come and go as they please and utilise the facility and there is open access. So far, there has been no attempt by University Management or security to try and remove students.

Keep up to date by searching 'Glasgow Uni Occupied' on Facebook

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs886.ash1/179444_147637278626557_133691460021139_283353_2119 162_n.jpg

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/hs253.snc6/180105_147637318626553_133691460021139_283354_1410 152_n.jpg

[Rooster]

Oh. Might pop down some point with a pack of lager and some pizza. They've got some comfy chairs in there.

[bricolage]

Very interesting.
Are there the usual occupation demands or is it just being run as a sort of social centre?

[Rooster]

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Glasgow-Uni-Occupied/133691460021139

[Sam_b]

Might pop down some point with a pack of lager and some pizza

Unfortunately I've left for home as my dissertation due date is in next week, but i'll be about tomorrow for studying in the facility. AFAIK the planning meeting at 6, likely ongoing, is going to deal with the point of alcohol as well. I would be against it at this stage, as it detracts somewhat from what we ideally want to see the space being used for, and I find it to be an 'atmosphere changer' to an extent at times. Also consider the QM is across the street!

Bricolage: we are treating it as an occupation in the sense there will be a minimum number in it at all times so control is not broken from the students. This is being discussed. However, it is open for all as a study space and social centre and anyone is allowed to enter: primarily students and staff, but any supporter is also free to visit us and spend some time here. Obviously saenior management, cops and university security will be denied access.

[bricolage]

Bricolage: we are treating it as an occupation in the sense there will be a minimum number in it at all times so control is not broken from the students.
I think any squatted social centre would do the same thing. It would be foolish not to.

My point being that student occupations are usually done with a list of demands aimed at being placed on management (an exception being the Sussex one last year that was just aimed at encouraging University workers to back strike action (I think)). So it is interesting to see what seems to be occupation for the sake of having occupied space, not as a means to an objective. Obviously if this is aimed at getting the place reopened then it does have an objective and actually reminds me of the Glasgow school occupations - and the one in Lewisham - but this still seems to be different to the university occupations at the end of last year.

[Rooster]

What's still in the building anyway? Do they still have a computer room? Is there still a kitchen in there?

[Sam_b]

Do they still have a computer room?

Of course there is still a kitchen, but there never was a computer room at the Hetherington Club. Unless you are confusing it with the Hetherington Building?

[Rooster]

Of course there is still a kitchen, but there never was a computer room at the Hetherington Club. Unless you are confusing it with the Hetherington Building?

Actually, I might be confusing this with the mature students place that's up the road towards the city. It has been a considerable amount of time. It's just that when they said that the building was left empty for a year a I was just assuming that everything was turned off and removed. Anyway, I'll pop up tomorrow and show some support.

[Admiral Swagmeister G-Funk]

excellent news! solidarity to all the glesgae students, you're setting a fine example to students across the uk in keeping up momentum and showing good tactics for direct action. keep it up.

[Sam_b]

THIS JUST IN:

Our Demands:

The Hetherington Research Club to be returned to democratic control by students and staff, with the return of the block grant. All those who lost their jobs as a result of the closure should be offered their jobs back.

Anton Muscatelli should condemn the cuts and student fees and take the average wage of university staff, or resign.

No cuts at Glasgow University. We demand no job cuts, no course cuts, no cuts to student services, no cuts to teaching budgets and an end to the voluntary severance scheme.

Glasgow University must become a democratic place of lifelong learning for all residents of Glasgow.

We demand investment in higher education and wider public services and an end to the Government's programme of austerity.

[Sam_b]

Awwww yeah! Taking a study break out tomorrow at 4pm, when Mike Prysner, Iraqi War veteran and voice against the oppression by military forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, will be speaking in the Liberated Space. Rooster, get yourself down for this, and that goes to all Glasgow/surrounding comrades in the area. All students, staff and friends welcome.

[Sam_b]

The meetings today have been good, and there's a full social programme planned for the coming days! Solidarity messages have come from as far away as New Zealand, America and Egypt. We are still open.

[Sam_b]

NEW OFFICIAL STATEMENT (Keep up to date with what's going on at freehetherington.wordpress.com)

On the 23rd February all students and staff at Glasgow University received an email from senior management detailing events that have occurred surrounding the student occupation of the Hetherington Research Club.
This email is seriously misleading and potentially defamatory and we at the Free Hetherington feel you, the students and staff of this university, deserve a comprehensive explanation of these events.
University management have seen fit to send a campus-wide email condeming the student sit-in of the Hetherington, feigning reluctant necessity as a result of recent events. This email is their first and only response to the student and staff call for negotiation regarding the Hetherington and planned cuts to university services and courses.
We hope through the following to inform you of the truths behind the statements the senate and court have made, and we would be happy to hear your views over a cup of (free!) tea or coffee at the Free Hetherington.
We contacted university management at the beginning of the occupation with our demands and did not receive a response. We remain keen to meet with them. Prior to their general email communication a process had been initiated by security staff on 23rd February and we expected to be meeting imminently with security staff. However the occupation has had no direct communication from university management at any point. We were therefore surprised to receive an email from the Senior Management Group of The University of Glasgow directed not at the occupiers, but at all students and staff. We have not had any direct communication from them outlining the issues as they have perceived them, any formal requests from them, nor any suggested means of entering into a dialogue with them.
We reiterate our demands:


Maintained freedom of access to the building, on the terms of the occupants.
The Hetherington Research Club to be returned to democratic control by students and staff, with the return of the block grant. All those who lost their jobs as a result of the closure should be offered their jobs back.
Anton Muscatelli should condemn the cuts and student fees and take the average wage of university staff, or resign.
No cuts at Glasgow University. We demand no job cuts, no course cuts, no cuts to student services, no cuts to teaching budgets and an end to the voluntary severance scheme.
Glasgow University must become a democratic place of lifelong learning for all residents of Glasgow.
We demand investment in higher education and wider public services and an end to the Government’s programme of austerity.

We do not believe these demands impossible or unreasonable, in fact we consider them essential to any decent society. We are still committed to highlighting and campaigning against the destructive nature of multi-million pound cuts at Glasgow University, as proposed by senior management, and as announced by the Herald (senior management did not consider these proposals important enough to warrant an email to all staff and students.) We have also shown support to the union which most academic staff are members of, the UCU, and support them in their defence of all our courses and jobs, and will continue to do so during any industrial action they may choose to take.
Since opening on Tuesday 1st February the Free Hetherington has hosted a range of successful events attracting a wide range of different people. We have been glad that so many people have found us a useful and stimulating venue – as detailed by reports in newspapers, radio and on the television – and have given us support with their time and other contributions. These events have included guest lectures, tutorials, student society events, discussions, workshops, film showings, pub quizzes, poetry open mic nights, and cooking demos. As well as these events many hundreds of people have used the Free Hetherington to study, to read and to have a coffee and a chat. All the while we have endeavoured to highlight the effects of the cuts on campus and beyond.
As regards the facts of the matter, which at points differ from the claims made in the Court email:
- Our demands, as restated above, have at no point, in versions publicised or those delivered to management, included anything concerning Egypt and the ongoing issues in that country. We are against cuts to courses at Glasgow University, in wider society, and the attempted full-scale reconfiguration of the nature of education in this country.
- On the 3rd of February an event occurred which will be familiar to everyone who has run a student venue, or a pub anywhere in the country. A drunk man unknown to us attempted to gain access to the Free Hetherington, and we refused him entry, as the university would expect of us. When he persisted he was stopped from doing so by members of the Free Hetherington’s own security team. He became more aggressive, and a member of the campus security guard intervened. Those involved have co-operated with all requests for witness statements from the police. Other such events have been dealt with without issue, including verbal abuse and violence from a minority of the student body towards those in the building at the time.
- On the 21st of February security staff informed members of the Free Hetherington that damage had been caused to doors between 13 and 11 University Gardens. The members of the Free Hetherington strongly condemn the damage done to the doors, and the space upstairs. Incidents of this nature have occurred in the past and by no means is the Hetherington exceptional amongst university establishments in this regard. In the past, large club-nights repeatedly had similar problems as a result of the internal door between 13 and 11 university Gardens being a fire escape.
- We have evidence that suggests this event is connected with a similar event which occurred on our second day in the building. The occupiers informed the university security staff of the damage, and offered to pay for any repairs, but this offer was refused by management. In this latest incident nothing was taken, however it was understandably distressing for the occupants of 11 University Gardens that their office space was subjected to such an attack. In addition paperwork from the Hetherington was left around the vandalised offices. It is certainly an odd way for a random vandal or thief to act, and we believe it to have been done by someone antagonistic to the occupation as a potential act of sabotage. We are currently investigating whether we have any witnesses and, as we have previously stated, we will work with any police investigation.
On being informed of the latest event the Free Hetherington organised an emergency meeting to discuss the incident and the steps that could be taken to avoid it. This meeting was well attended and lasted nearly two hours, highlighting the seriousness with which we view the incident. Since being informed we have worked with the staff of 11 University Gardens to ensure that the issue is resolved. Action has been taken which includes installing an alarm on the door, and placing people permanently on the door until the alarm is installed. The Free Hetherington has also reviewed its general security policy and will continue to review this policy regularly. These actions reflect the desire of those involved in the Free Hetherington to continue to operate it as a free open space both for those involved in the occupation and the staff working in adjacent buildings, as it has been over the past three weeks, and will continue to be.
We believe that the university’s actions in sending this email, not to those it addresses but to the whole student body, with a series of distortions, and after three weeks of refusing to discuss any way to move forward, shows a lack of even perfunctory consultation or an authentic desire for reconciliation. We are not here on the sufferance of the university; the building remains open.
The Free Hetherington

[Sam_b]

NEW OFFICIAL STATEMENT (Keep up to date with what's going on at freehetherington.wordpress.com)

On the 23rd February all students and staff at Glasgow University received an email from senior management detailing events that have occurred surrounding the student occupation of the Hetherington Research Club.
This email is seriously misleading and potentially defamatory and we at the Free Hetherington feel you, the students and staff of this university, deserve a comprehensive explanation of these events.
University management have seen fit to send a campus-wide email condeming the student sit-in of the Hetherington, feigning reluctant necessity as a result of recent events. This email is their first and only response to the student and staff call for negotiation regarding the Hetherington and planned cuts to university services and courses.
We hope through the following to inform you of the truths behind the statements the senate and court have made, and we would be happy to hear your views over a cup of (free!) tea or coffee at the Free Hetherington.
We contacted university management at the beginning of the occupation with our demands and did not receive a response. We remain keen to meet with them. Prior to their general email communication a process had been initiated by security staff on 23rd February and we expected to be meeting imminently with security staff. However the occupation has had no direct communication from university management at any point. We were therefore surprised to receive an email from the Senior Management Group of The University of Glasgow directed not at the occupiers, but at all students and staff. We have not had any direct communication from them outlining the issues as they have perceived them, any formal requests from them, nor any suggested means of entering into a dialogue with them.
We reiterate our demands:


Maintained freedom of access to the building, on the terms of the occupants.
The Hetherington Research Club to be returned to democratic control by students and staff, with the return of the block grant. All those who lost their jobs as a result of the closure should be offered their jobs back.
Anton Muscatelli should condemn the cuts and student fees and take the average wage of university staff, or resign.
No cuts at Glasgow University. We demand no job cuts, no course cuts, no cuts to student services, no cuts to teaching budgets and an end to the voluntary severance scheme.
Glasgow University must become a democratic place of lifelong learning for all residents of Glasgow.
We demand investment in higher education and wider public services and an end to the Government’s programme of austerity.

We do not believe these demands impossible or unreasonable, in fact we consider them essential to any decent society. We are still committed to highlighting and campaigning against the destructive nature of multi-million pound cuts at Glasgow University, as proposed by senior management, and as announced by the Herald (senior management did not consider these proposals important enough to warrant an email to all staff and students.) We have also shown support to the union which most academic staff are members of, the UCU, and support them in their defence of all our courses and jobs, and will continue to do so during any industrial action they may choose to take.
Since opening on Tuesday 1st February the Free Hetherington has hosted a range of successful events attracting a wide range of different people. We have been glad that so many people have found us a useful and stimulating venue – as detailed by reports in newspapers, radio and on the television – and have given us support with their time and other contributions. These events have included guest lectures, tutorials, student society events, discussions, workshops, film showings, pub quizzes, poetry open mic nights, and cooking demos. As well as these events many hundreds of people have used the Free Hetherington to study, to read and to have a coffee and a chat. All the while we have endeavoured to highlight the effects of the cuts on campus and beyond.
As regards the facts of the matter, which at points differ from the claims made in the Court email:
- Our demands, as restated above, have at no point, in versions publicised or those delivered to management, included anything concerning Egypt and the ongoing issues in that country. We are against cuts to courses at Glasgow University, in wider society, and the attempted full-scale reconfiguration of the nature of education in this country.
- On the 3rd of February an event occurred which will be familiar to everyone who has run a student venue, or a pub anywhere in the country. A drunk man unknown to us attempted to gain access to the Free Hetherington, and we refused him entry, as the university would expect of us. When he persisted he was stopped from doing so by members of the Free Hetherington’s own security team. He became more aggressive, and a member of the campus security guard intervened. Those involved have co-operated with all requests for witness statements from the police. Other such events have been dealt with without issue, including verbal abuse and violence from a minority of the student body towards those in the building at the time.
- On the 21st of February security staff informed members of the Free Hetherington that damage had been caused to doors between 13 and 11 University Gardens. The members of the Free Hetherington strongly condemn the damage done to the doors, and the space upstairs. Incidents of this nature have occurred in the past and by no means is the Hetherington exceptional amongst university establishments in this regard. In the past, large club-nights repeatedly had similar problems as a result of the internal door between 13 and 11 university Gardens being a fire escape.
- We have evidence that suggests this event is connected with a similar event which occurred on our second day in the building. The occupiers informed the university security staff of the damage, and offered to pay for any repairs, but this offer was refused by management. In this latest incident nothing was taken, however it was understandably distressing for the occupants of 11 University Gardens that their office space was subjected to such an attack. In addition paperwork from the Hetherington was left around the vandalised offices. It is certainly an odd way for a random vandal or thief to act, and we believe it to have been done by someone antagonistic to the occupation as a potential act of sabotage. We are currently investigating whether we have any witnesses and, as we have previously stated, we will work with any police investigation.
On being informed of the latest event the Free Hetherington organised an emergency meeting to discuss the incident and the steps that could be taken to avoid it. This meeting was well attended and lasted nearly two hours, highlighting the seriousness with which we view the incident. Since being informed we have worked with the staff of 11 University Gardens to ensure that the issue is resolved. Action has been taken which includes installing an alarm on the door, and placing people permanently on the door until the alarm is installed. The Free Hetherington has also reviewed its general security policy and will continue to review this policy regularly. These actions reflect the desire of those involved in the Free Hetherington to continue to operate it as a free open space both for those involved in the occupation and the staff working in adjacent buildings, as it has been over the past three weeks, and will continue to be.
We believe that the university’s actions in sending this email, not to those it addresses but to the whole student body, with a series of distortions, and after three weeks of refusing to discuss any way to move forward, shows a lack of even perfunctory consultation or an authentic desire for reconciliation. We are not here on the sufferance of the university; the building remains open.
The Free Hetherington