The student occupation of York University President Susan Mann's
offices came to an end on the morning of Sunday, February 16. Both
Metro police (called in by the York administration) and campus
security were in full force when the protesters, who have been
occupying her office since Tuesday, were given a "choice" of either
confining their occupation to the President's office (it had spread
to several offices) or leaving.
The students have demanded an immediate freeze to tuition fees
and have called on the administration to unite with students to
oppose the cutbacks to education funding, part of the anti-social
offensive being implemented by the federal and provincial
governments. Students are demanding that the Administration act in
defence of the interests of the students, and not as administrators
of the cuts which are being imposed on education.
Last week, several Ontario universities tabled tuition fee
increases of 10 percent, following Education Minister John
Snobelen's announcement that universities could increase tuition an
average of 10 percent across the board, and up to 20 percent in
specific faculties for the 1997-98 academic year. Following the
tuition increases, students at the University of Toronto occupied
the President's office, followed by students at York University and
Guelph University. Students at the University of Toronto ended
their week-long occupation of the UofT President's office on Feb.
13. Speaking the day before on CBC Radio Metro, UofT President
Pritchard stated that the student occupiers do not represent the
student body because they are not "elected student leaders." He
also made flippant remarks about such actions being just a matter
of routine student life. The students at the UofT have said they
will continue to organize different actions on campus to oppose the
tuition fee increase as part of participating in the struggle
against the anti-social offensive. Students from UofT and a
delegation sent from the then-occupied President's office at York
participated in the anti-Megacity demonstration held in Toronto on
Saturday.
Students at the University of Guelph are continuing their
occupation, which began Wednesday. They have already held an
on-campus rally attended by over 500 Guelph students as well as
high school students, despite the fact that it was in the middle of
their university's mid-term break.
Shawgi Tell
University at Buffalo
Graduate School of Education
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
