Cambridge Defend Education occupy Sidgwick building

This morning, 50 student activists occupied a Lecture Block on Sidgwick Site.  The students claim to be affiliated with Cambridge Defend Education (CDE) and other groups.

In their statement this morning, occupying students said “we stand in solidarity with UCU to fight against a higher education system where workers are pushed into ever-increasing financial precarity and for a free and liberated University.”

The decision to occupy comes after seven days of nationwide UCU strikes for better pensions and pay. It directly follows University Council’s vote to reject UCU’s proposal on the USS pension scheme on Monday (21st February 2022). It remains unclear for how long students will remain inside the building, or how this will impact the three days of strikes scheduled for next week. 

Tomorrow is not a strike day, meaning that if activists remain overnight more teaching will likely be disrupted in addition to pre-planned strike days.

The Sidgwick Lecture Block is used by multiple faculties, including English and Natural Sciences. In-person activities at the site will most likely remain suspended until students leave the building. 

In response, a University Spokesperson said that they “support the right to peaceful protest but the occupation of University lecture theatres by a small number of people disrupts access to education for all other students and teaching staff who use those buildings. We are working  to minimise disruption to lectures.”

Student banners hung inside Lecture Block A

Currently, staff are striking over a “devastating” 35 per cent cut to guaranteed pensions, as well as the so-called “four fights.” These cover workloads, casualisation, falling real pay, and gender, racial, and disability pay gaps. 

The occupation aims to “put pressure” on the university to meet their demands. Occupying students have claimed they “will occupy this building until our demands are met.” 

They have outlined three demands so far, the Tab understands that more demands will follow soon:

1. The University of Cambridge commits to negotiating a comprehensive recognition agreement with UCU that includes all categories of staff.
2. The University makes a public statement calling for local and national UCU demands to be met, including both the Four Fights and USS Pensions, alongside those of UNITE and UNISON.
3. Students and workers face no disciplinary measures for taking part in peaceful direct action in support of the strikes.

The occupation has drawn support from the Cambridge branch of the UCU, who put out a tweet this morning in solidarity with CDE.

CDE are a self-proclaimed “independent group of students and academics fighting for an empowering, emancipatory and radical vision of education.” In 2018 they occupied Old Schools, the university’s administrative centre. They did so again in 2020, where the occupation lasted for 10 days. 

There is historical precedent for occupying a lecture hall, too. Ten years ago, CDE occupied Lady Mitchell Hall, also on Sidgwick Site. In 2006, Sidgwick Lecture Block itself was occupied in protest to the introduction of top-up fees. 

Students at other universities around the UK are also currently occupying buildings in solidarity with staff. This includes students in Sheffield, Nottingham, Sussex, and Liverpool. 

The University of Cambridge has been contacted for comment.

This story will be updated as more information becomes available.

All image credits: Cambridge Defend Education