Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Student Occupation of the University of Barcelona


We stumbled upon the occupation of the Universitat de Barcelona by a student group. They had already been occupying the main campus building for more than a month with the aim of transforming higher education. Their press release from their blog (translated version) reads:

We are committed morally to be the new martyrs of the transformation of higher education, and we are prepared to suffer the consequences of the new titles of their degree and devaluation in the world of work.

There was a feeling of change in the air as the students slowly came to life from their mattresses cluttered across the foyer around noon, the typical wake up time in Catalonia. One British exchange student spoke to us about how education should be free, since the graduate will spend the rest of his or her life in service and paying taxes anyway.


Squatting the school. And perhaps a fun way to be with your friends over the holidays?


The computer is the tool of choice for activists. Blogging, press releasing, and facebooking get the message out.