Occupying Australia

[Andrew Nicolas Charles <082276@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Comrades: here is a brief and preliminary report on the student
occupations that occured in Australia last Thursday. It discusses mainly
the occupation at Melbourne University. There will probably be spelling
mistakes because I had to retype the whole thing.


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On Thursday May 8th University students, TAFE students and supporters
occupied the second floor of the admin building of Melbourne University.
May 8th was a National Day of Action, called by the National Union of
Students, supported the the academics' union. Actions were co-ordinated
in each region by the relevant activist netwroks

We were demanding an end to the privatisation of education, particularly
the introduction of upfront fees for Australian undergraaduates, cutbacks
and changes to students' and the unemployed's allowances, the reduction
in public funding for education, staff job losses and the corporatisation
of an education system explicitly in the service of "industry" and
private capital. Melbourne University was a specific target, being the
first university to introduce upfront fees or a portion of undergraduates.

The demonstration in Melbourne marched to Melbourne University, and
rushed into the administration building, taking police and security
guards toally by surprise. After an hour of confusion, we ended up
barricaded in on the second floor, with no access to toilets: the only
way out was down a balcony, and no way of getting back into the building.

We stayed overnight, and left safely the next evening. The university
administration cut off our access to power, telphones, toilets, and the
police hindered our attempts to get food up, at one point taking pizzas
that had been bought for us, eating them themselves.

On the second day (Friday) the group resolved that if our immediate
demands for power, food, toilets were not met, university property,
starting with files, would be disposed of out the windows. This was a
divisive issue, and the decision to go ahead with the disposal of
property resulted in many occupiers leaving - most however remained
outside to support those who remained in the building.

Supporters gathered outside from the time we occupied, and as the word
was spread around campus a crowd whose numbers peaked at perhaps 500 was
outside, chanting, and trying to assist in getting food up to the
occupiers. A contest ensued as supporters tried to outwit the police in
figuring out ways to get fod to us. The morale of the occupiers would
have been far worse had it not been for the constant active support we
were recieving from outside.

Later on Friday, the University had a meeting, and issued us with an
official warning for trespass, and a deadline after which the police
would be sent in and "allowed to do whatver they wanted." (victoria
police have a reputation for violence, and have recently been issued with
capsicum gas). The remaining occupiers decidedthe occupation would be too
difficult to sustain over the weekend: to avoid arrest and injury it was
decided to leave at 5:00pm. The occupation ended, on a note that was
decidedly unfinal: Universities of Australia beware - the fight has only
just begun.

Also in Sydney there was a rally of 3000, including secondary school
students. After the rally students set up a tent city outside of the
Sydney Uniuversity Main Quad, in order to disrupt the administration by
placing pickets. The pickets were established the next day and were a
total success. Tha same day, students decided to occupy the actual
building, breaking doors down and barricading themselves in by 3:00.
Later that night they were evicted by police. No arrests were made,
though there was significant media and a police camera present.

At Northern Metropolitan TAFE in Melbourne a group of students occupied
their administration building for a number of hours, protesting the
sacking of unionists, and constant attempts by the administration to shut
down the student organisation.
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One of these days someone will teach me how to mail things as attachments
and I wont have to do this anymore.

Solidarity!





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