BREAKING: Students occupy fourth building at University of Sheffield

Some teaching has been moved online as a result


A group of students at the University of Sheffield are now occupying four buildings on campus in action against cuts to funding and services.

The buildings now being occupied include the Hicks Building, the Arts Tower, Jessop West and most recently, The Diamond.

The occupation has impacted teaching, with some seminars moved online due to inability to access the Diamond.

An email sent to students

These occupations are happening in solidarity with a national ten-day strike that many university staff members are participating in.

Striking Lecturers at the University of Sheffield are currently protesting in regard to pension disputes, pay, and working conditions.

The occupying students are standing in solidarity with another of the university staffs causes, the closure of the Archaeology department and changes to the running of the Languages department.

After occupying the Diamond on Thursday morning, Uni of Sheffield Rent Strike tweeted: “WE HAVE OCCUPIED THE DIAMOND! Four fights, four buildings!” They are calling on the uni to “support the UCU’s demands” and to “not close Archaeology”.

One student occupier told The Sheffield Tab: “Staff teaching conditions are student learning conditions. We support our striking staff because they are fighting for a better university for everyone and this disruption is a small price to pay.”

Sheffield Students Union President, Evie Croxford, has stated the Student Union “fully respect[s] their legal right to a peaceful protest, and appreciate their commitment to affecting change through direct action”.

Student occupiers inside the Arts Tower

The SU also says that the officer team is “regularly checking on the wellbeing of our members who are occupying the building”.

A spokesperson for the University of Sheffield said: “We are in contact with the students who are occupying the buildings and we hope that the situation is resolved as soon as possible.”

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