On Tuesday evening (17 March) students took over part of the London School of Economics in central London, and renamed it the Free University of London. Yesterday (Thursday 19) they were joined by students occupying at art school Central St Martins, part of the University of the Arts (UAL).
The last LSE occupation ended four years ago. Students there had occupied the same room as now, part of the wave of occupations in London and across the country at the time, which fed into the lively actions on the streets through the winter of 2010-11.
At the UAL, the occupiers yesterday issued a number of demands including stopping their college’s plan to cut the art foundation course. They are also protesting against staff job cuts and racism in the university.
In their initial statement the LSE occupiers wrote:
“We demand an education that is liberating – which does not have a price tag. We want a university run by students, lecturers and workers.” …
“We join the ongoing struggles in the UK, Europe and the world to reject this system that has changed not only our education but our entire society. From the occupations in Sheffield, Warwick, Birmingham and Oxford, to the ongoing collective takeover of the University of Amsterdam– students have made clear that the current system simply cannot continue.” …
“In this occupation we aim to create an open, creative and liberated space, where all are free to participate in the building of a new directly democratic, non-hierarchical and universally accessible education: The Free University of London.”
Like the wave of London student occupations back in 2010-11, both are running daily programmes of workshops and discussions. For details see their websites and twit feeds:
LSE occupation twitter
UAL occupation twitter
Both occupations are keeping very busy issuing
Students have occupied the London
been occupying the London School of Economics (LSE) in central London since