Support grows for Sussex occupation

Overnight around 30 activists had defied university management and continued to occupy the university conference room.

The conference room is usually meant for commercial events and had been chosen precisely because it represented the marketisation of higher education - as the uni frequently rented it out to corporate guests.

This morning, though, an International Relations lecture had been planned to take place. And the lecturer who was due to give it had even asked for it go ahead, in the midst of the occupation. He would have been welcome, as activists had been pushing for the uni to allow them to open the space up to lectures, meetings and discussions.

But surprise, surprise, the university bosses canceled it. While they refused to let campus workers and students have open, in-and-out, access to the room as long as it was occupied. The authorities actions were another blatant attempt to present the movement as wreckers, when it is the university that is planning devastating cuts to students' education.

But try as they might, the uni bosses just aren't winning this one. The movement on campus is still growing in support.

In the morning activists who had left the occupation - when they weren't busy taking in supplies to those inside - were building for a lunch time solidarity protest.

And at midday the crowd built up to around 200 outside in solidarity with the occupation. It was another show of strength for the anti-cuts movement on campus.

There were chants of "strike, strike" as representatives from the UCU spoke about how they were balloting for strike action on Friday.

While activists from the Socialist Workers Party and Another Education is Possible, called on students and workers to fight together against cuts, and to back the slate of anti-cuts candidates in the elections.

Student Union President, Tom Wills, spoke about the need to back the UCU and Unison strike calls, keep the momentum up by building a vibrant mass movement on campus, and reiterated the call to back the slate of anti-cuts candidates in the student elections.

Revolution member, John Bowden, speaking as an activist from the National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts, talked about the recent conference that had set up the campaign and the need for a mass movement coordinated across the country.

With a militant mood in the air, the last speaker called on people to join the occupation inside and 150 people rocked on up to the conference room to join the occupation.

Inside there was a buoyant mood as the next steps in the campaign were debated out. Students at Sussex are gearing up to encourage their lecturers to "vote yes" in Friday's ballot. And when the strike comes it should be met with a massive wave of student-solidarity protest.