Hamburg & Dortmund occupied

Dortmund, Germany

GERMANY – Students throughout Germany and Austria participated today in the first day in a series of national days of action and strikes against education reforms, budget cuts, and the de-democratization of education. Students at the University of Hamburg and the University of Dortmund occupied their Economics and Politics faculties. Tent cities are forming on several university campuses throughout Germany as well.

update:

9-June

6am PDT: Around 200 students are currently occupying a castle, an administration building at the University of Erlangen. In Freiburg, 2000 students occupied a railway and reports of arrests. In Marburg, some 1000 people are out protesting. 5000 demonstrate at Stuttgart, 3000 at Münster, 1500 in Sigmaringen and 2000 in Essen. So far, approximately 70,000 demonstrators across Germany.

Düsseldorf, Germany

March on Bologna

VIENNA, Austria – Some 10,000 students descended on the anniversary party for the Bologna Process on March 11. Unfortunately, riot police stopped them from effectively blocking all the delegates from entering the party, however the party itself was delayed 90 minutes. Students held a counter summit the next day. Check out this reportback from emancipating education.

Vienna Reoccupied

VIENNA, Austria – Around 200 students at the University of Vienna have occupied a lecture hall in preparation for the 10th anniversary celebration of the Bologna Process (on March 11) they plan to disrupt. Live footage of the occupied lecture hall can be viewed here! An explanation on the Bologna Process from Bologna Burns:

… a problem out of many you might have with the bologna process:

The fact that the entire process is based on the understanding of education as only producing workforce dictated by the market is reflected in the agreed goals. Therefore our aim is not only to measure success or failure of the Bologna process, but furthermore to question the process and its foundations itself. Master and Ph.D. as elite programs which especially exclude women, introduction of tution fees and under-financing of universities as well as de-democratization within the university system are obvious symptoms. 
The difficult financial situation increases the corporate influence on education and scientific research. The orientation of teaching towards corporate interests does not only affect universities, but the entire education sector in general. Hence the possibilities of self-determined and critical learning are restricted.

from a fall of protest…to a spring of resistance and refusal

from a fall of protest…

…to a spring of resistance

and refusal

a collection of written insurrections from vienna

Academy of Refusal in Vienna Evicted

We are getting reports from twitter that our comrades occupying the Academy of Fine Arts (also know as the Academy of Refusal) have been evicted. More information to be posted as it comes.

After being pressured by police forces the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna [Austria] was evicted today.

via – http://twitter.com/ISM030/status/7271270744

Update on Vienna Eviction

from unsereuni:

Occupation at the Auditorium Maximum in Vienna Evicted – Education Protests Continue

While other occupied universities in Austria are successfully finding political solutions, the rectorate at the University of Vienna has evicted the occupying students.

After two months of occupations and with a political solution within reach, the rectorate at the University of Vienna ordered the eviction of all occupied premises in the main building of the university, including the auditorium maximum (Audimax). Around 150 people left the building peacefully after the eviction was served by police at 6.12 AM. The occupying students are disappointed by the rectorate’s course of action, they condemn evictions as a replacement for finding a political solution to the problems in the education system. (read more)

Vienna Evicted!

sent to us from a comrade (edited):

Today, December 21st, 2009, the occupation of the biggest lecture room at the University of Vienna has been evicted due to the actions taken by police and security staff. At that time, 6.30am, there had been about 20 students and about 80 homeless people inside the rooms.

All occupiers moved to C1, a squatted space at the campus, for a big assembly. At the moment protests are being organized there.

In the meantime, one of five occupied rooms at the Academy of Refusal (formerly Academy of fine arts, Vienna), has been evicted by academy staff as well.

Both evictions have been directed by the headmasters, Georg Winckler (university of vienna) and Stefan Schmidt-Wulffen. Through these actions, they reproduced a patriarchic, undemocratic and hierarchic system.

THE PROTESTS CAN NOT BE ENDED THROUGH POLICE ACTIONS!

DEMONSTRATION TODAY, 16:30. WE MEET AT THE UNIVERSITY CAMPUS, C1!