Occupy spreads to universities
Quakers involved in Occupy camp at the University of Warwick
As the ‘Occupy’ movement spreads to universities, at least one protest camp has included several Quakers, a Meeting for Worship and a very visible Quaker banner.
Students at the University of Warwick spent two weeks camped in the centre of their campus, calling for free education and an alternative to the current economic system. Three Quaker students joined in and the occupation received backing from Friends.
‘I was keen to involve local Quakers in our occupation, given how supportive Friends have been nationally to the Occupy movement,’ explained student Owen Everett. ‘Whilst we were open to debate, we shared the conviction that higher education should be free for all,’ he added, ‘We opposed the extreme funding cuts to education, the privatisation of the university and the commodification of our degrees’. They hosted lectures and workshops, including one on consensus decision-making.
A Meeting for Worship was held on Sunday 4 December. Participants included three Friends from nearby Coventry Meeting and two students with no previous experience of Quaker worship.
The occupiers expressed disappointment that the university authorities declined to meet them until the camp had been in place for nearly two weeks. The University of Warwick has been known in the past for its conservative reputation but recent years have seen an increase in radical activism. The arms firm BAE Systems began to bring private security guards to the campus after the company’s presence at careers fairs resulted in nonviolent direct action by the group Weapons Out of Warwick.
Meanwhile, occupations have sprung up at other universities, including Cambridge and Royal Holloway College in the University of London.
