"Today we paid a visit to the UCL accommodation office. They heard our message all right, we want the rent to be cut and the bullying to cease! And we'll be back if they don't improve quickly.
If you'd like to join and help plan more actions like this in the very near future, join our planning session tomorrow in the IoE bar, 7pm."
"The action was fun and went very well. We were hoping to have a nice chat to them to about cutting the rent and stop bullying students, management disappointed once again. They decided to be completely unreasonable and locked the door, preventing us from talking to the reception!"
A short comment piece in Huck magazine, by Liam Renouf, an NUS official for Housing at Goldsmiths, University.
I guess a NUS sanctioned strike comes with the potential for future problems such a mediation and demobilisation. Aside from any liberal perspectives that the article contains, I'm just posting it here for information.
I apologise for the copy & past from a Facebook page but I thought the whole text maybe of interest:
_________________________
**// MASS MOBILISATION \\**
SATURDAY 18th JUNE, 1PM - meet on Torrington Square outside Birkbeck ready to have some fun...
-- bring music + banners! flares + friends! --
Over 1000 students are on rent strike for a fairer future at UCL and the stakes have never been higher. Having patronised and ignored rent strikers for months, UCL management say those on strike face fines and debt collection.
We will NOT be ignored.
We will NOT be intimidated.
When UCL management treat their students with such contempt, UCL Cut the Rent believe it is simply unethical to allow prospective students to be blinded by the spectacle of UCL open day.
Unless UCL meaningfully negotiate with the #rentstrike, we will have no choice but to disrupt their hollow marketing.
UCL say they "don't consider low-income students when setting rents": Join us and our ~sound system~ as we make them think twice!
We are issuing an ultimatum: if UCL doesn't offer the strikers significant rent cuts, we'll cut the rent ourselves...
-- bring music + banners! flares + friends! --
SATURDAY 18th JUNE, 1PM meet on Torrington Square outside Birckbeck ready to have some fun...
*********
More details of actions and times will come closer to the date. If you want to be involved in the organisation of the demo, come along to the UCL CTR organising meeting THIS WEDNESDAY, 8th JUNE
https://www.facebook.com/events/239112009794583/
I was tempted to go on Housing Act demo this Saturday. On second thoughts , I don't think I will. I'll be much better off supporting the UCL rent strikers action around about the same time which will give the UCL authorities aggro rather than an A-B demo that ends up at (yawn) an empty parliament building. Some involved in preparing the demo wanted it to march to Savills ( hats off to comrade in Lambeth Housing Action group) but SWP and Labour robots vetoed this. They want the usual boring demo where they can sell papers and recruit. Isn't it time the SWP was swept into the dustbin of history? Anyway see you at the UCL with the rent strikers.
Important!!
It now turns out that a meeting of those organising the Housing Act demo originally decided to march to Savills. A later much smaller meeting reversed this decision. This was a manipulation by the SWP. In the meantime local housing action groups had printed leaflets saying the destination of the march was Savills. There is now much anger at this latest SWP manipulation. The SWP are now denying that the orifginal decision was taken!!!! Added to what I already posted about the SWP policing of the Lewisham libraries demo, this really points to the SWP going into maniacal WRP mode. This party is a threat and danger to the social movements. The sooner it disappears the better.
Please spread this information.
Yeah, we would really welcome
Yeah, we would really welcome any comments or info from anyone involved!
This report in the Huffington
This report in the Huffington Post is a few days old but it has some info and images:
London University Rent Strike Sees Students Withhold £1m In Payments
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/london-university-rent-strike-sees-students-withhold-payments_uk_572c810fe4b0e6da49a61d10
Here's another article from
Here's another article from about a week ago, with a few snaps and interviews in Dazed magazine.
Students in London are now refusing to pay their rent.
http://www.dazeddigital.com/artsandculture/article/30617/1/students-in-london-are-now-refusing-to-pay-their-rent
There's a few photos of a
There's a few photos of a very small picket of a University College London office on Facebook.
One banner reads:
"UCL Fucks You Over"
I don't know how to post photos here so I've included a link:
https://www.facebook.com/uclcuttherent/photos/pcb.518307901686866/518306738353649/?type=3&theater
Here's the students' blurb:
"Today we paid a visit to the UCL accommodation office. They heard our message all right, we want the rent to be cut and the bullying to cease! And we'll be back if they don't improve quickly.
If you'd like to join and help plan more actions like this in the very near future, join our planning session tomorrow in the IoE bar, 7pm."
"The action was fun and went very well. We were hoping to have a nice chat to them to about cutting the rent and stop bullying students, management disappointed once again. They decided to be completely unreasonable and locked the door, preventing us from talking to the reception!"
"Victory to the rent strike!"
A short comment piece in Huck
A short comment piece in Huck magazine, by Liam Renouf, an NUS official for Housing at Goldsmiths, University.
I guess a NUS sanctioned strike comes with the potential for future problems such a mediation and demobilisation. Aside from any liberal perspectives that the article contains, I'm just posting it here for information.
Students in London are struggling, but our rent strike is about a whole lot more: From where I stand
I apologise for the copy &
I apologise for the copy & past from a Facebook page but I thought the whole text maybe of interest:
_________________________
**// MASS MOBILISATION \\**
SATURDAY 18th JUNE, 1PM - meet on Torrington Square outside Birkbeck ready to have some fun...
-- bring music + banners! flares + friends! --
Over 1000 students are on rent strike for a fairer future at UCL and the stakes have never been higher. Having patronised and ignored rent strikers for months, UCL management say those on strike face fines and debt collection.
We will NOT be ignored.
We will NOT be intimidated.
When UCL management treat their students with such contempt, UCL Cut the Rent believe it is simply unethical to allow prospective students to be blinded by the spectacle of UCL open day.
Unless UCL meaningfully negotiate with the #rentstrike, we will have no choice but to disrupt their hollow marketing.
UCL say they "don't consider low-income students when setting rents": Join us and our ~sound system~ as we make them think twice!
We are issuing an ultimatum: if UCL doesn't offer the strikers significant rent cuts, we'll cut the rent ourselves...
-- bring music + banners! flares + friends! --
SATURDAY 18th JUNE, 1PM meet on Torrington Square outside Birckbeck ready to have some fun...
*********
More details of actions and times will come closer to the date. If you want to be involved in the organisation of the demo, come along to the UCL CTR organising meeting THIS WEDNESDAY, 8th JUNE
https://www.facebook.com/events/239112009794583/
*********
|| GRÈVE! | BLOCAGE! | SAB-O-TAGE!! ||
https://www.facebook.com/events/1753960451490823/
That sounds great, thanks for
That sounds great, thanks for posting.
freedomnews.org.uk have
freedomnews.org.uk have published an article on the current student rent strikes.
"Rent Strike: The new wave of student radicalism in London":
https://freedomnews.org.uk/rent-strike-the-new-wave-of-student-radicalism-in-london/
I was tempted to go on
I was tempted to go on Housing Act demo this Saturday. On second thoughts , I don't think I will. I'll be much better off supporting the UCL rent strikers action around about the same time which will give the UCL authorities aggro rather than an A-B demo that ends up at (yawn) an empty parliament building. Some involved in preparing the demo wanted it to march to Savills ( hats off to comrade in Lambeth Housing Action group) but SWP and Labour robots vetoed this. They want the usual boring demo where they can sell papers and recruit. Isn't it time the SWP was swept into the dustbin of history? Anyway see you at the UCL with the rent strikers.
I wish I could come up for
I wish I could come up for this but unfortunately I can't.
Look forward to hearing about it.
Important!! It now turns out
Important!!
It now turns out that a meeting of those organising the Housing Act demo originally decided to march to Savills. A later much smaller meeting reversed this decision. This was a manipulation by the SWP. In the meantime local housing action groups had printed leaflets saying the destination of the march was Savills. There is now much anger at this latest SWP manipulation. The SWP are now denying that the orifginal decision was taken!!!! Added to what I already posted about the SWP policing of the Lewisham libraries demo, this really points to the SWP going into maniacal WRP mode. This party is a threat and danger to the social movements. The sooner it disappears the better.
Please spread this information.
Thanks for the update!
Thanks for the update!