News / University of Bristol
Students barricade themselves inside Wills Memorial Building
University students who have barricaded themselves inside the Wills Memorial Building are demanding that there are no repercussions for the occupiers.
A group of students inside the Great Hall, where University of Bristol graduations take place, have blocked doors with upturned tables and chairs. They have also brought sleeping bags, ready to spend the night inside the room.
The occupation began on Monday morning as staff went on strike for another day to protest about their pensions being cut.
is needed now More than ever
While picket lines are in place outside university buildings and teach-outs continue at the Hope & Anchor pub on Jacob’s Wells Road, students from Rent Strike Bristol remain in the Great Hall in solidarity with the strike actions of Bristol University & Colleges Union (UCU)
Rent Strike Bristol say that University of Bristol security “are threatening to call the police on their own students” but this is something that the university has denied.
Students have used tables and chairs to barricade themselves inside the Great Hall – photo: @anna_lrtgrn / Twitter
The students’ demands are:
- No repercussions for the occupiers
- Reverse the decision to withhold pay from staff taking ASoS (action short of strike)
- Back UCU proposals to pension plans
- Spread “strike days” across multiple monthly payslips
…………………………………
Read more: City Hall lit blue and yellow in solidarity with Ukraine
…………………………………
Occupiers say that “the university can have its building back when management stop punishing staff and meet these demands”.
It is the first occupation of a university building since 2018 when students occupied the vice chancellor’s offices for several days.
In a statement, the Great Hall occupiers said: “Students stand in solidarity with staff because teaching conditions are our learning conditions and, as victims of the privatised university sector ourselves, we understand that the vice chancellor and university management are not our friends.”
A University of Bristol spokesperson said: “We are aware that students are currently occupying the Great Hall in the Wills Memorial Building.
“The action follows similar occupations at several universities in which students are supporting the ongoing industrial action by lecturers and academic staff which is part of a complex national dispute over staff pay and pensions.
“Students have access to toilets and amenities. We have never taken action against students for peaceful occupation and will not do so in this case.”
Main photo: @anna_lrtgrn / Twitter
Read more: Lecturers teach students at the pub as part of university strikes
Listen to the latest Bristol24/7 Behind the Headlines podcast:
Our top newsletters emailed directly to you
