UCD Students Win Their 1st Victory in Anti-Cuts Campaign

by Davy Carlin Fri Dec 05, 2003 17:22

and again, Well done

by pat c Fri Dec 05, 2003 17:40

How about trying this:


BERLIN (Reuters) - Dozens of Berlin students have braved freezing temperatures to streak through the centre of the German capital to protest at plans to cut spending for universities.



About 40 students wearing little more than shoes, smiles and slogans that blasted the spending cuts surprised festive shoppers with a series of sprints through a Christmas market near the central west Berlin business district on Friday.


Chanting "We're here, we're naked and cutting funds for education is stupid", the students were taking part in the latest action over the last three weeks to protest at some $90 million in proposed cuts to Berlin's three universities.


German universities, which a century ago served as a model for universities in the United States and other countries around the world, have suffered in recent decades under cost pressures.


German universities generally charge no tuition fees and some of the country's two million students have mounted protest campaigns against political leaders who have proposed introducing fees to help finance university costs.


In Frankfurt, hundreds of students protested against the cuts outside a building where soccer officials and sports stars were gathering for Friday's 2006 World Cup qualifying draw.

by midnight reader Fri Dec 05, 2003 17:43

But lets not get complacent. The library hours in Belfield are still not restored and there are cuts still being implemented in tutor times and elsewhere.

In the New Year lets come back and give the new College President a message, We will not tolerate your cuts!

Lets step up the campaign with more occupations, linking up with college workers and explaining the wider impact of cuts

by UCD student Fri Dec 05, 2003 18:10

Pat C is wrong to think that running naked through the city centre will beat cuts! That is the type of publicity stunt that has failed, and are seen as failed stunts among most students. That type of stuff comes from the 'chaining yourself to the railings and doing nothing else' school of student politics- (this is the dominant ideology in the USI leadership by-the-way). It was mass occupations by students that won the extra hours in Earlsfort Terrace, not a few Earlsfort Terrace students running naked through the neighbouring St. Stephen's Green on a frosty December morning!

What we need is something far more substantial. ie joint action with University workers, actions of a mass character. Publicity stunts have their place, but are not the sole way of getting things from the political establishment.

by pat c Fri Dec 05, 2003 18:14

i was joking ! i put in it in for some light relief!

gawd, the revolution is obviously not a laughing matter.

by Cian Fri Dec 05, 2003 18:26

While running around naked might not beat cutbacks a sense of humour is essential for any long drawn out campaign, especially the tough ones!

by undergrad Fri Dec 05, 2003 18:52

it's great to have the non-academic staff supporting the students' action in ucd, and in effect be participating in the action. where are the academic staff? kieran allen, a swp member and senior lecturer in the dept of sociology, has done nothing. why doesn't he attend the occupations? it's his library too! his hours are being reduced! show solidarity with the students and other workers.

kieran (and other academics), if you've not got an invite- take this posting as an invite! why not come on board, talk to the college papers, join the protests, etc.

by bichy for president Sat Dec 06, 2003 13:28

damn those hippies!!!!!!!!

by UCD head Sun Dec 07, 2003 18:17

Blueshirt Binchy and his mates in FF have in all the years that they have been in power have won less concessions from the college than the current administration has in the past 6 months.

Abey Campbell/Fine Gael last year would have never even contemplated taking action of this sort in the library. Instead they confined themselves to college committees and partnership with the authorities. If that tactic was repeated this year Earlsfort would not have got an increase in hours and the authorities would have simply not listened to us on other issues.

Let the transformation of the union continue! vote for left wing candidates with proven records. Kick out the careerists! Finish FF/FG/PD in UCDSU politics

by Earlsfort Terrace student - UCDSU Sun Dec 07, 2003 23:26

The current administration in the UCDSU have won more victories than the rightwingers like Binchy and Hourihane. The victory on the Library hours in Earlsfort Terrace was won because of the tactics used- ie not 'asking nicely' and passing meaningless motions on university committees. While we're on Earlsfort Terrace, there are a number of other gains there such as the refurbishment of Theatre 243 (unchanged since 1918!)- Abey Campbell and FG didn't deliver on that! There is also a much need reduction on the prices of the Earlsfort Terrace restaurant. Even on Printing costs there has been a 20% reduction- again something that the rightwing promised and never delivered on.

I say let the progress continue. It's great that we finally are on the road to having a Union that will represent our interests. It's important that we keep out the likes of Binchy, Gregg O'Neill, Woulfe etc

by finbar Tue Dec 09, 2003 18:00

its not right or fair to heap all thecredit onto the so called "administration" the victories are achieved because hundreds of students are involved, not because the right people got elected. the college wouldn't listen to paul aidan etc. if they thought that they hadn't the mass support of a student body who were willing to engage in direct action.

by UCD hack Tue Dec 09, 2003 18:05

You're dead right finbar, but the prevuious administration would not have harnessed the power of students and would have probably set about to sabbotage any mass movement of students.

by sweet jesus Tue Dec 16, 2003 23:55

is there some kind of trick to mass motivation or just the luck of the draw?
so far this year DIT have had great turn outs, for 10k and the national demo against cut backs. have they cracked the code to getting students to care enough to get off their arses, or is it just luck?
i know paul, aidan and co. did a lot of lecture addressing for the sleep in and the national demo, and it was great craic, but for a college of 21 thousand the head count was pretty meagre.

by SU member Wed Dec 17, 2003 18:13

Yes the headcount on the demos was fairly poor, but in the library it was very good. There is a number of factors for this, the physical layout of UCd makes it very difficult to assemble a crowd, but more fundamentally the SU is still not a real active and fighting union. It has a leadership that might want such a union but the vast bulk of students in UCD are still apathetic and do not get involved in the SU. Thisngs don't change overnight, I think it is important that UCDSU has a serious look at the structure of the union, maybe a more federal structure could help in mobilising students from outside of the arts block and make the union more relevant by fighting on the day to day issues in the faculties.

by aidan - ucdsu Thu Dec 18, 2003 15:26 deputy.president at ucd dot ie

I dont know if you are a ucd student sweet Jesus but getting 350 people to initially stay in the library for a full night is quite an achievement in UCD. Trying to get UCD students to take an interest in anything that is in some way politically active is difficult. The success of the library sleep in is not just its numbers but the diversity of those who participated in it. The numbers for the National Demo was over 100, but nobody really expected that many to come out. Firstly because it is the last week of term for UCD students and hence the last minute rush for assignments. Secondly half the college had exams and finally the habitual gathering of students outside the Dail every year has become slightly repetitive. Like everything in politics, people are more likely to get participate in something if they feel directly affected by it. The annual USI gathering is lethargic for most students and alien to their daily activities and hence students are unlikely to get out for something that is being organised by what students feel is some far and distant organisation.

by Socialist Bullshit Thu Jan 08, 2004 22:12

This Administration has done more my arse!! It these socialists had done any work in the first place the hours would never have been cut no previous Union Officer would ever have tried to claim credit for rectifing a situation which they let get out of hand in teh first place they failed in their first 3 months and will have to spemd the rest of the year trying to bring the Union beck to the level it was at the end of the last adminsitration
God help who ever comes after teh muppets Dillon and Regan

by UCD Hedd Fri Jan 09, 2004 10:58

Oisin Kelly is the real muppet of the bunch, he goes around preaching Trotsky and Lenin in the same way a Fundamentalist Minister would preach from the Bible. He seems to forget that his real job is to work on behalf of UCD students, we pay his salary. Remember Oisin you are supposed to work for UCDSU. If you want to be a fulltimer for the SP then they should pay your wages.

by Oisín Kelly - UCDSU Education Officer Fri Jan 09, 2004 12:08

I think you will find that the library hours were cut BEFORE the current officers took over. Earlsfort Terrace has won it hours back and we're expecting developments on Belfield in the coming period.

I wouldn't normally even reply to comments by the likes of 'ucd hedd', but i think the slur that he makes should be replied to. If you want to see the hours that I work feel free to look at my time sheets which are available to any member of the Union, every single hour of the past 6 months are accounted for! I am active in the Socialist Party, i'm not going to make any apologies for that, all i'll say is that the time i dedicate to the Socialist Party are out of office hours.

by UCD Hedd Fri Jan 09, 2004 12:18

Are a work of fiction. How much of your time in your office do you spend doing SP work and launching anonymous attacks on indy threads? Your opffice is also like a shrine to Trotsky. Such blatant pushing of your politics is offputting to students who do not share your views. Keep your icons and posters for your bedroom.

by Snowy Fri Jan 09, 2004 16:06

As the infamous Indymedia correspondent tintin is widely believed to be a UCD student I thought I should bring this to Oisins attention.

Full coverage of tintins 75th anniversary is at

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/arts/3381761.stm

'Racist' criticism

Tintin's first adventure saw him tackle the Communist regime in the USSR in Tintin in the Land of the Soviets.

Subsequent stories saw him battle drug dealers, travel to the moon and discover a lost Inca tribe.

But the brave reporter also had to battle criticism - his portrayal of Africans was deemed racist by some, and the fact Herge continued printing during the Nazi occupation of Belgium raised accusations of collaboration. "

by SP member Fri Jan 09, 2004 21:57

If what 'UCD Hedd' has said is true lets see the evidence of Oisín doing SP work during his working time?

There is none because it has not happened. Oisín works fulltime for the SU and does it very well. Any SP activity that he has doen has ALWAYS been out of office hours.

It seems that the right wing have nothing legitimate to complain about the left exec officers about so they make up silly lies about being party full timers. Look at the facts, a few days of action on the library have achieved much much more than years of 'committee work' under the FF regime. At least this years SU is willing to be active on the iussues and fight for its members. Remember last year when Hourihane/Campbell/Higgins/O'Maoinaigh refused to take any position on fees, passed a picket at the vets block and voted to condemn the actions of CFE for opposing fees! The right wing are finished in UCD, everyone has seen how ineffective they are and I am 100% confident another left exec will be elected in February.

by Milou Mon Jan 12, 2004 19:31

Whateverthe SP member (who is probably Finghin) thinks about Oisins work output he has nothing to say about OK turning the Education Office in to a Trot shrine. This office should be accessible to all students.If FF were putting upposters of Bertie the SPwould be the first to protest. Students sgould have access to this office without being oppressed by Trot propaganda.