Sheffield Hallam rent strike protester ‘thrown to the ground by security guard’

A video circulated online yesterday evening in which a security guard pinned a Sheffield Hallam student to the floor.

The university has said they are aware of the incident and are investigating.

It comes after students at Sheffield Hallam University occupied the Cantor building late on Thursday night as part of a rent strike protest. 

A student involved, who asked to remain anonymous, said they were: “Protesting peacefully until the security guard threw (the boy in the video) to floor.

“They were chased across the ground and the security guards screamed, ‘wait until I get my hands on you’. They were being very angry and aggressive.”

The protesters say they will not be leaving the building until their demands are met. 

They want an open dialogue with university and to have their issues listened to and taken seriously. As well, the SHU rent strike wants to break the nomination agreement between the university and private landlords with rebates on rent. 

Today, the Cantor building has been closed and no staff or students are allowed to enter. Negotiations in the building are set to continue today.

A Sheffield Hallam University spokesperson said:  “We are committed to continuing dialogue with the rent strike protesters.

“Senior staff from the University and Hallam Students’ Union Officers are visiting them this morning to continue those conversations.

“We are also aware of an incident that occurred on Thursday evening at the Cantor building involving a protestor and security officer, and are investigating this.”

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