By Alison Dellit
MELBOURNE — On May 8, the Melbourne University administration building was occupied as part of the national day of action against cuts to higher education.
The occupation was specifically in response to Melbourne University's policy on fees. It was the first university in Australia to introduce up-front fees for undergraduate students, and with no discussion.
Although some 800 students initially stormed the building, within one hour the police entered, barricading the students into one floor. Many students chose to leave as this happened, reducing numbers to around 250 students. The students remained in the building overnight and into the next day.
The students adopted a manifesto of demands, which included opposition to all privatisation of education, across the board staff pay rises and increases to Austudy. The students declared that they would not leave the building until the vice-chancellor convened a council meeting to rescind up-front fees for all Australian undergraduate students.
The university denied the students access to electricity, heating, phones and toilets. The police, under instructions from the university, confiscated food that supporters outside attempted to get to the demonstrators. Students attempting to leave the occupation had to climb out of windows and were searched by police before being allowed to leave the area.
Although the students had limited contact directly with the outside, solidarity actions were organised outside. A continuous roster was established outside the building of some 20 people keeping guard, and a rally organised in a matter of hours attracted 1000 people.
This rally marched around campus, chanting and calling on students to join the occupation. Leaflets were distributed calling on students to support "a group of students who would rather shit in a bucket than live in a country with up-front fees".
The occupation ended at 5pm on Friday, May 9, when the vice-chancellor announced that the students would be charged with trespass if they remained in the building. The students marched out chanting and with fists raised as up to 300 cheering students gathered outside.
A rally has been organised for 1pm on Tuesday, May 13, outside the administration building to continue the fight against up-front fees. Melbourne University education officer and Resistance activist Jo Williams said, "The vice-chancellor's attitude to those occupying shows that the fight is far from over — in fact, it has only just begun".