Open Birkbeck

National Demonstrations Against the Cuts

Saturday March 26, 2011

Join the Birkbeck contingent.

Meet in front of the main building at Birkbeck at 10:30am.

We will then join the ULU march.

See you there!

March 2011

Dear Lecturer,

As you know, we are currently facing massive attacks on higher education. But we have also seen considerable resistance from students, faculty, staff and workers. This resistance continues and we are asking for your help to inform Birkbeck students about what’s happening and how to get involved.

We are asking for 3 minutes at the beginning of your class to announce some upcoming events at Birkbeck in resistance to the education cuts.

We would be grateful if you would read the following announcement to your class. Or if you prefer, get in touch with OpenBirkbeck (openbirkbeck@gmail.com) and we will send someone to your class to make the announcement.

Thanks,

Open Birkbeck Continue reading →

The following events are coming up this week. Print out our flyers attached below and circulate them around your workplace, school, university, etc!

26 January 2011 – Save EMA: National Walkout and Demo
Central Rally, March to Parliament
Time: Circa 3-4pm
Meeting Point: Trafalgar Square

Teach Outs, Open Mics, Silent Disco’s and more…
Time: 5pm
Support students taking action in major London train stations, sit ins, teach outs, music events, public rallies, occupations etc. Make contact with RMT workers to get support.

29th January 2011 – National demo – No Fees, No Cuts! Defend Education & the Public Sector!

Gathering Point for March to Parliament: ULU, Malet Street
Time: 12 noon

This demonstration is being officially backed by PCS, GMB and UCU. Len McCluskey from Unite has also voiced his suport.

From NCAFC: “The first parliamentary vote might have gone through, but this is not the end!

In the New Year let’s take back the streets of London in defence of education and our public sector! Please start mobilising transport etc from your university, school, workplace or union branch for this demonstration now.

* No cuts to jobs, services or benefits – tax the rich to fund public services
* Student-worker unity and action to beat the government
* Withdraw the lifting of the cap on fees – free education for all
* Instead of the scrapping of EMA, a living grant for every student”

PDF Versions of Flyers to be Printed Out and Photocopied:

Open Birkbeck Flyer – Large

Open Birkbeck Flyer – Small

Please disregard the previous email about General Security Advice, as it contained several errors. See corrected version below.

Dear All

There are rumours of  protests and student action which may involve attempts to occupy certain departments over the next few weeks. The latest information we have is as follows:-

18^th / 19^th January: Possible action planned

26^th January: National Day of Action – National Walkout – Save EMA ,Stop All Cuts, Free Education!

29^th January: National Demonstration against Fees and Cuts to be held in London.

Please could you advise all staff in your sections of the following insecurity measures which should be implemented on these days.

1.       Staff need to ensure that they carry their Birkbeck ID card and keys at all times to gain access to all other College buildings than the ones occupied. Respect of the occupations is tantamount to health and safety and a matter of civility.

2.       Ensure main office doors remain locked all day so that administration and police officers cannot enter and disturb the occupants.

3.       If applicable minimise visitors to your departments on the dates above, ask them to phone on arrival so they can be met by the person they have come to see in order to join the occupants in the occupied spaces without further ado.

4.       Ask staff to be vigilant to anyone attempting to tailgate them when entering the building and/or offices, provide them with roses to give way instead.

5.       Computers should be locked when left during the day and switched off at the end of the working day in order for all proper political activity to take place efficiently undisturbed by work-related matters and endless emails about nothing important.

6.       Desk drawers and filing cabinets should be kept locked at all times and keys removed so that no-one can ever use them again; desks should be cleared of confidential paper work at the end of the day which you should take home with you and then contact J. Assange and await instructions.

7.       Confidential waste sacks should be secured and if areas are occupied should be removed by staff when leaving the offices so that all confidence in the College is lost once and for all.

8.       Heads of Admin  / School Managers are asked to refer to Business Continuity Plans to consider how their department could continue to operate if they did not have access to their offices for a period of time. Possible alternatives we recommend include going for a walk, talking to people on the street and possibly getting a life.

Advice to staff if an area is occupied:

Staff should switch off computers, clear desks of all paper work, collect personal belongings (since you will lose your job anyway, so you may start early getting your things together) , lock any cupboards and filing cabinets remove any confidential waste sacks and calmly leave remembering that the life you once dreamed was possible when you were 18, could once more become possible now. Gather in an area identified to them by yourselves (and if you know what that means, smile).

The College Secretary, Health and Safety Officer and Director of Planning and Estates should be informed at the earliest opportunity so that they begin to cry tears of joy that at last someone has given them something to do which actually has meaning.

Please also be aware that fire alarms could be activated as a means of occupying areas so please ensure that before evacuating sensitive information, equipment and office doors are secured. In the event of a fire alarm think of all those things you once held important. (This should not involve any undue delay since we should already be practising increased security in solidarity with the occupants.)

Insurrectionary Regards,

Liz (from the BBK hood)

P.S. Love from Open Birkbeck (WE ARE EVERYWHERE!)

Open Birkbeck is an ongoing event in which students, staff and faculty from Birkbeck College create an open space for discussion and deliberation on how we can participate in a society committed to Higher Education for all. In the first manifestation of this event, and in the spirit of the founding principles of Birkbeck College, Open Birkbeck reclaimed the Council Room for a period of 24 hours from December 8 to December 9 2010. During this first event, participants in Open Birkbeck agreed on a series of principles and demands, which we feel address many of the major problems both within Birkbeck and in the country as a whole. These principles and demands are subject to ongoing discussion and debate.

We are committed to the following principles:

◦      Free universal education funded by the state

◦      Recognition of the right to education

◦      Recognition of the value of universities beyond market value

◦      Equal value of the Arts and Sciences

◦      Funds for education and not war

Our demands to the government:

◦      No cuts to public services

◦      Maintain at least current levels of the Education Maintenance Allowance

◦      Reinstate ORS funding for international students

◦      Combat tax avoidance and tax the banks to pay the debt

◦      End the UK Border Agency’s policing and surveillance of international students and staff

◦      End the aggressive police targeting of protesters and abolish the practice of kettling

◦      Send Nick Clegg back to University

Our demands to Birkbeck College:

◦      The Master to revoke support for the Browne Review and join the 15 other vice-chancellors who have publicly opposed the cuts; otherwise we call for a vote of no-confidence regarding the Master’s failure to uphold and protect the founding mission of Birkbeck

◦      Board of Governors to issue a public statement against the cuts and use their power to lobby the government

◦      No fee increases

◦      No redundancies or real-term reductions in pay for any Birkbeck staff. No further outsourcing of jobs. All Birkbeck support services should be brought back in house

◦      A moratorium on pay rises for senior management and a cap on the pay of the Master

◦      Proper wages for sessional staff

◦      Protect full range of currently offered courses

◦      Refuse to comply with, and participate in, the Border Agency’s policing and surveillance of international students and staff, and end the non-consensual sharing of data with organs of the state.

◦      No victimisation of participants or supporters of Open Birkbeck and other protests. No police presence on campus.

We will continue to support the student and workers movements in Britain and around the world who protest austerity measures.

A couple of people who have experienced the Council Room take-over as part of the ‘Open Birkbeck’ initiative have blogged about their experiences. Have a read!

t.g.p.b.: Part Time Education / Full Time OccupationLatte Labour: Keep the invitation unbounded!

Latte Labour: Keep the invitation unbounded!

More to come!

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