(source: http://at.indymedia.org/node/16084)
Austrian students squat universities! Mass-demonstrations and broad solidarity throughout the country.
Throughout the last years studying conditions at Austrian
universities have dramatically declined. The introduction of tuition
fees, a massive cutback of democratic structures and the lack of course
availability are only some examples for that development. Reasons for
that process can be found in the huge decline of university funding on
one hand and the introduction of the three level “Bologna” system on
the other hand. In that context the implementation of admission
reductions and limits was conducted.
Obviously several reasons constituted an insufficient status quo. On
Thursday, October 22, the insatisfaction turned into savage protest.
At 12:00 PM several hunderd students of the Academy of Fine Arts
(which was squatted the day before) and the University of Vienna
gathered to make notice of their desperate situation. In a spontanious
action they squatted Austrias largest auditorium in the main University
building. The news of the squatting spread rapidly and soon after
students from several other departments joined.
What started as a spontanious act of protest within the course of
just a week, evolved into massive student protests throughout all major
Austrian university cities. The University of Vienna for example is
constantly being seized by several thousand people. Self-organized
action groups have build up an efficient infrastructure that includes
i.e. a public kitchen, first aid and legal consulting. In addition to
that 100 work groups have been formed, whose main subject is the
discussion of strategic and content related issues.
On Wednesday October 28th , seven days after the initial squatting,
Vienna witnessed one of the largest education related rallies in
Austrian history, with 40.000 attendents. The following day, in Graz,
Austrias second largest city, a demonstration with several thousand
people took place.
The students have presented a broad catalog of demands to public and
university policy makers. Those demands include among others the
democratization of all aspects of university life, a massive increase
in funding, free and equal admission modalities and a 50 % women clause
in all positions of university adminisration and education.
Along with various organisations and groups from all corners of
society and the world, many universityprofessors and administrative
staff have demonstrated their solidarity with the protesting students.
This and the incredible power and hope that have developed, encourage
the movement to persist and grow until the students’ demands are met.
international media contact:
Workinggroup internationalpress / Occupied University of Vienna
mail: internationalpress.unsereuni@gmail.com
tel.: +43 699 1920 3371
web: www.unsereuni.at
