From: bjlin1-AT-student.monash.edu.au
Date: Wed, 30 Jul 1997 15:57:12 +0000
Subject: AUT: Monash's tent city


CORPORATE AUTHORITY OR "STUDENT AUTONOMY" 
IN THE UNIVERSITY


For five days, students at Monash University's Clayton campus have 
continued to occupy the grounds in front of the university 
administration building in demonstration against the introduction of 
up-front fees and against the deepening corporatization and 
privatization of the university. 

A tent city, originally erected by a handful of students, has grow to 
a presence of 20-30 students, and many others coming and going from 
the occupied site. Slogans have been added to many of the walls of 
surrounding buildings, in opposition to the VC and to the process of 
corporatization. There are plans for a big party on Saturday night, 
as the occupation builds up toward the university's PR extraveganza of 
"Open Day" on Sunday. Already as part of an ongoing industrial 
dispute with staff (in which results have not been released), the 
NTEU has boycotted the "open" day, adn apparently are planning with 
the student association (MSA) a rally on the Sunday. 

The struggle of the students in occupation closely identifies with 
the grassroots democratic movement that has arisen out of the wave of 
university occupations that occurred earlier this year. In turn, this 
movement also exhibits the significant development of methods of 
struggle that are now occurring in the activist sections of the 
student movement, the considerable innovation of the 
subversion-in-defiance of the corporate Power of the university. But 
to some degree in remains developed in its methods in spite of its 
content: there is a considerable awareness of the process of 
corporatization, cuts of incomes and resources, etc, but not so much 
has been analysed and distilled in the recent education cuts, in the 
Common Youth Allowance (and the immiseration of young people), and 
deepening subordination of "education" to markets and profits (and 
corporate power). The profile of up-front fees remains prominent, but 
these other issues (and issues beyond this, to autonomous democratic
*student-controlled spaces*) are gradually being raised and thought 
about.

So far, there seems to have been very little word or action from the 
Administration or security, and a good deal of symathy from staff 
and students in general. (I was even present when some high school 
kids came by, and the whole thing kind of blew their minds - even 
more so when I told them about high school occupations in the 
1970s!). 

Here is a brief message from one of the activists involved in the 
action:

>Would you like to facilitate discussion on a topic of your choice to
>intrestested passer-by's and activists. Rebel classes are to be held
>at Monash's Corporate-free Space (outside admin)
>
>?Enjoy the live tribal music, drugs ,political discussion, diverse  
artistic
>expressions, yoga, massage, food and fun for all, Admin steps 24hrs 
a
>day...
>
>drumming workshops are held daily, and groovy trance techno is
>interspered throughgout the day
>
>At present 15-20 people are their at anyone time, with 70 being the
>biggest thus far.
>
>We anticpate 200-300 for the 24hr party this Saturday, having
>orgainsed generators, sound equipment and DJ's together with smoke
>machine etc.
>
>This party will coincide with open day Sunday, for as our banners
>proudly proclaim "Monash wil Pay : Close down open day!"
>
>Steve, this is our 5 th night now and intend to stay for months
>
>Pass this on if u like to newsgroups etc
>

I think if nothing else this action has disrupted the "normal" 
machinery of "anaesthesia" that is part of so much of university 
life. Not only to see some interesting graffiti but also, so 
obviously, to see those who put it there, in the long resistance, in 
a gathering of brightly-coloured tents, is an inspiring act of 
defiance in the face of boredom and repression.

Bruce Lindsay.
========================================================BJLIN1-AT-MFS04.cc.monash.edu.au 


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