A Statement from University of Sussex Socialist Students
"The occupation of around 70 students of the administration building, Sussex House that began this afternoon has been ended by riot police intervention.
Over a couple of hours support for the student occupiers swelled to a demonstration of around 200 outside the building. Student and staff protestors attempting to enter the building were blocked by riot police who pushed and baton charged the crowd.
Occupier and Socialist Student activists reports "Seeing the situation escalate outside we wanted to make clear this was a peaceful protest. Inside the occupation we took a vote and the majority of us decided to leave on our own terms in an organised fashion. We linked arms and made our exit while the police dragged people to the floor and we think arrests were made.
Sussex Socialist Students condemns the use of police by management against opposition to cuts. Its clear the stepping up of the police presence on campus today was an attempt to intimidate all students and staff at Sussex after the protests and occupations of the last few months.
We and the Stop the Cuts campaign will not be silenced, students and staff will stay united. Socialist Students demands that any protestors arrested today are released immediatley.
No repercussions and victmisations for students and staff involved in the occupation and protests, that the student union and campus trade unions hold a public inquiry into the conduct of the police"
Trade unionists, public representatives
Send messages of protest to
Michael Farthing Sussex University Vice Chancellor and Sussex University management
