Since 9:30 this evening, approximately 100 students have occupied the University of Sussex library to protest falling standards.
Below is the occupiers 'learn-in' manifesto and a few words by one of the participants. Please circulate this as widely as possible.
The students are currently running workshops and there are plans to do film showings later in the night. The occupation is also being organised through meetings held every hour, on the hour, involving all the students. Below is the manifesto issued by the occupiers.
Sussex University Library Learn-in Manifesto
We are here because the standards at Sussex University are falling.
We believe that the recent cuts to the library epitomise the problems facing students at this university.
We believe that we are entitled to a high level of education and that large seminars and few resources, either academic or material, are not going to achieve this.
We regret that this action may inconvenience library staff and we stress that this action is in opposition to the library cutbacks and redundancies perpetrated by university senior management.
We demand more transparency from the university and that it calls an emergency council meeting, open to all students, during term.
We want to show the university the extent and level of discontent among studentsand we wish to show our complete support for the aims of the sort-US-out campaign (http://www.ussu.net/sortUSout/), as well as the staff in ALL their industrial action.
Contact For All, Books For All, Housing For All, Food For All, Free Education For All.
As students we are turning our words into action;
As students we demand the university do the same.
Education the world over is under attack through privatisation and corporatisation: prioritising profit over the right to free education.
From Bogota to Paris, our struggle at Sussex University is global.
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