The International Students for Social Equality opposes the planned destruction of hundreds of academic and professional jobs at the University of Sydney. The actions of the university administration are being driven by the Labor government’s pro-market “education revolution” and signify a new stage in its implementation. The Gillard government’s aim is to slash spending per student and deepen the transformation of universities from institutions of academic and intellectual achievement into profit-driven corporate concerns.
March 28, 2012 by International Students for Social Equality
The International Students for Social Equality condemns the police killing of Roberto Laudisio Curti in Sydney’s CBD on March 18. The young Brazilian student was chased, capsicum sprayed and repeatedly Tasered by six police officers, who were apparently looking for someone who had stolen a packet of biscuits. He posed no threat to police or others and committed no crime.
Young people in Australia, Brazil and around the world are rightly disgusted over the police actions and Laudisio Curti’s tragic death. But the response of the Australian authorities indicates that there will be no justice for the Brazilian student. New South Wales Premier Barry O’Farrell immediately defended the police and confirmed the continued use of potentially lethal Tasers.
The following comment was first published in French on March 22 in a slightly different form as part of a WSWS/ISSE special bulletin on the Quebec student strike. The bulletin was distributed at that day’s protest march in Montreal. (See: Quebec: Mammoth demonstration in support of strike against university fee hikes.) More than 200,000 Quebec university and CEGEP (pre-university and technical college) students are currently boycotting their classes to oppose the provincial Liberal government’s plan to raise university tuition fees by 75 percent over five years, starting this September.
A report on student debt published March 5 by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York highlights the social disaster confronting young people in the United States.
Amid mass unemployment, falling wages and rising tuition, more and more college graduates are unable to keep up with student loan payments. The report found that over one quarter of student loan borrowers are late on their payments, far higher than the 15 percent reported in earlier surveys.
February 28, 2012 by International Students for Social Equality
Issued in French on February 23, this statement of the International Students for Social Equality (ISSE) was distributed at a mass demonstration of striking university and CEGEP (junior college) students held in Montreal that same day. Since February 13, increasing numbers of students have launched walkouts and unlimited strikes to oppose the Quebec Liberal government’s plans to increase university tuition fees by 75 percent or $1625 over the next five years. Currently some 80,000 university and CEGEP students—almost a fifth of Quebec’s entire post-secondary student population—are on strike and in the coming days tens of thousands more are to vote on whether to join the walkout.
On February 7, the International Students for Social Equality held a meeting on campus to oppose the deportation to the United States of Sheffield Hallam University student Richard O’Dwyer.
O’Dwyer is facing a maximum 10 years in prison on charges of copyright infringement. The meeting was addressed by Julie Hyland, assistant national secretary of the Socialist Equality Party and attended by a number of students and lecturers.
A second meeting will be held Tuesday, February 21, at 5:30 p.m., to continue the campaign in O’Dwyer’s defence.
Below we publish Hyland’s remarks.
In January, Judge Quentin Purdy, sitting at Westminster Magistrates Court, ruled that Richard O’Dwyer, a 23-year-old computer science student at Sheffield Hallam, can be extradited to the US on charges of copyright infringement. Richard has appealed the decision. He faces up to 10 years in prison if found guilty.
Sheffield Hallam University computer science student Richard O’Dwyer faces extradition to the United States on copyright infringement charges, where he faces five to ten years imprisonment in a US federal jail.
O’Dwyer established the TVShack.net web site nearly four years ago. The web site did not utilise any US-based web servers, nor did it host any files whatsoever. His web site acted only as a conduit and did not breach existing UK copyright laws. The only previous charge of a similar nature, the suit against TVlinks, was thrown out of court last year.
January 22, 2012 by International Students for Social Equality (UK)
The International Students for Social Equality is holding a public meeting on Tuesday, February 7 to discuss the Richard O’Dwyer case and other attacks on democratic rights. Meeting details follow this statement.
The International Students for Social Equality calls on all students, young people, academics and workers to oppose the extradition of Richard O’Dwyer to the United States on copyright infringement charges.
If found guilty, the 23-year-old Sheffield Hallam University computer science student faces from five to ten years imprisonment in an US federal jail.
Judge Quentin Purdy at Westminster Magistrates Court ruled that, despite breaking no British laws, O’Dwyer can be extradited to the US to face trial for merely running a web site posting links to other sites where people could download copyrighted content, including movies and TV programmes.
November 27, 2011 by International Students for Social Equality
This statement is available as a pdf for distribution.
The attack by UC Davis police against peaceful protesters has shocked and revolted millions of people throughout the world. The use of pepper spray against the students has shown the hostility of the ruling elite to democracy, and the ruthlessness with which it deals with any opposition.
There is much more at stake in this attack than the misdeeds of one chancellor or a few police officers. The actions at Davis are part of a coordinated effort by mayors of major US cities—working with the FBI and the Obama administration's Department of Homeland Security—to shut down Occupy protests through violence. This crackdown has so far resulted in more than 4,600 arrests. Only three days after the violence in Davis, police assaulted and arrested students protesting tuition hikes in New York City.
November 20, 2011 by Statement International Students for Social Equality
Friday’s assault by University of California Davis police on a peaceful protest is an outrageous act of violence and intimidation. It is part of a nationwide wave of police repression against the Occupy movement, and a byproduct of the drive by university officials and big business politicians to enforce attacks on public education over the opposition of workers and students.
On Friday afternoon, A UC Davis police officer—later identified as Lt. John Pike—pepper sprayed the faces of a dozen protesters sitting on the ground with arms linked, sending two the hospital. Horrified onlookers pleaded with the officer to stop attacking the students, and chanted “shame on you” as the officer carried out the attack.
