The first innovation is that the "University" - i.e. the Vice-Chancellor - takes its students to court for occupying one of theU/niversity buildings. Whether such action is illegal or not is a moot point, and unfortunately at the hearing on Monday December 16th the Judge had no time to decide because the occupation had ended; a mistake which was nobody's fault because in the confusion its significance was overlooked. It is also relevant that they took only & persons to court, hardly enough to occupy a phone box.
This is hardly an example of that usc •reason and discussion" which Vice-Chancellors praise so extravagantly. On the subject of negotiation, the Vice-Chancellor refused allow his messenger to wait for the delegation he had summoned. Then the occupiers of the Senato House said they were willing to talk to Senate the highest academic authority of the University: Vice-Chancellor, all the pentersors Senate refused ton protes nie non-professoria] nenters delegation dumonticia. But te sonne evening "Senate grounds that it was went with its own handouts to talk to ar squaly unollicial Ad Hoc Committee. Th decision about who to reason with was clearly aken on poutcal rather tnan consciomone groe maght remind these gentleren that such a and certainly not on practical one: short-sighted "dialogue is characteristic of countries like Greece or Spain.
Life and Death There is also the message that a mener ol staff relayed to engering students: they nced not altend orc of the sessinnal exams fl they were "expressing their antipathy to the sit-in instesd our inhuman Vice-Chancellor is also Professor of Aeronaurical Engineering 3pm UeC inCT Oin Eie autharities cut off the external telephone lines niclucing an emergency line to the Patholog epatent which keeps them in contact wit be hospital and the police This line is a matter of life and death. The Vice- Chancello was informed of this and replied that he would not negotiae until Senate House was cleared. Only after threats to expose the matter to the press were the telephone lines copened.
No surprise First shat Senate has no voice whatsoever but has no power to change the situation as all authority is concentrated in the person of the Vice Chancellor. To cive an example: roterine produced the following note.
The University press statement of Saturday December 14th points out that the University would readily receive such a Storen Sunday eremet ting (5pm. December 15th)
complicity statement has yet been handed over.
Comment seems superfluous.
Vice-Chancellor Tobacco Reginald (pro-Vice Chancellor) who remember, was Charman of BAC When it swindled the people of Britain out of about 14.000,000 - Is hysterical, vindictive ofe Bristol to uee the Union building. Too mean to allow the other students They forget that some of the Cl.500,000 it cost carne from the City of Bristol, and NOT believe. my tre government as ne vr wowd nave be children of Bristol ralepaye?
COUCEC vieras 10s University students live elsewhere. Even il vast majority the ristol Universi:: STUUCEES WaRt Ine OEDeE BastO. stodens to be ale to use the building whenever they wan extreme richt could onl mobilse agsinsı the sif-in, saying "Whethe sor" stipport reciprocal membership or you The sit-m began when Umion Finance (the hughest committee af the Students' Umon whose charman is none ober than the Vice-Chancellor) offered the students a working party, when, as Union Finance well knew, a werking-party had been set up in October 1967 and its second and final report was being printed. After all the other delays involving passing the notion four times through Union General meetings. this was the last straw. Reject Liberal Ideology!
pon whom it served writs for the entire cos f the sit-in, for putting the Senate House the administration block - out of use for eleven days. and for YENIDUS OLTET OInI "illegal" actions. It should be pointed out that one of the eight had almost nothing to do weth the sus iar d dico prbeig ied to test right of a University to forbid any self-organisation by students and to create a legal precedent for calling such organisation conspiracy. through their official union, which, EUGENES can lhen act despite only ir interse and prolonged struggle at Brist mains impotent in the face of the Universi bureaucracy.
The last straw An example: Lhe minutes of Union Finance meetings tạk nuon the Permanent Secretary of nde a University what the Tremulee are all Onteriny Septet Tnt Vice-Chancellor's statement that Committee "effectively controls the Students" Union" comes as no surprise.
Third, the attitude of the Professors: havin tade the discovery that the misinforation of Bristol resemble on in a Wein they se not Banting Urian Couneil fo "being (Union Council ratified reciprocal membership in October 68 yet in working-party) responsibility of the Permanent Secretary and Creee Vinc hance lor oremen bar tad the Free University, a mormelt students. for "vaned and conflicung plussure in Union Council", causing them to delay. 1 characteristic of Senato the laziest and mo miente t beti e sheenive sily lazy efficient and unable to manage thei: ow member describe SuenS affairs". In any case. Senate is as compt as its officers. Wher representing the decision of a meeting of the tesching staff which "deplored from Our Own Correspondent hope that constructive steps will be taken OCUlIC Y ICHOE University" Senate came out with this STaLORN!
"Senate also welcomes the action of the teaching staff in deploring the pecupation of this University huilding and in callin for steps to be taken to restoro the unity ol the Uiniversity."
The only answer to the situation revealed here I a struggle on the part of all British studen against responsibl university and and college bureaucracies, and aginst those selenes ali w acer uete tes t tou n, Their , ericourago "reasonablc discourse" is a Lie: their claim to be educators is disgusting Students cust confront them with minimal demands such as those of the Trade Unions: the right of all Unisersity and College studenta in Britain to organise without beine got for conspiracy: significantly, the Bristol sit-in by Universit EO CLE evolved not oniy apprentices, it got almost unanimous albeit лото suppon по a датету шовь м AEF shop-stewards. It is as simple as that. W. know who our friends are!• SPANISH LANGUAGE STUDENT gives GERMAN/SPANISH lessons in exchange for ENGLISH/FRENCH tuition.
BOX BC1001 LONDON SCHOOL OF NON-VIOLENCE for the scientific study INÁUGURAL STUDENT ENROLMENT on January 30th 6.30 Square, For further details contact
VIETNAM IS THE KEY ISSUB IN THE WORLD TODAY, PIVOTAL TO THE STRUGGLE AGAINST IMPERIALISM IN THE THIRD WORLD AND WITHIN THE CITADELS OF CAPITALISM OF THE UNITED STATES AND HER ALIES, BRITAIN AMONG THEM. BUT IN BRITAIN, FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC GOVERNMENT POLICIES CONVERGE CRITICALLY ON RHODESIA WHICH - LET US FACE IT - IS IN DANGER OF BECOMING BRITAIN'S VIFTNAM. The Black Dwarf 27 Jan 1969
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Decenter 68 Senate suggested the secon nEpomation on" (which should any way besin