•We were not expecting trouble, but we had to go prepared in case there was any', said Coventry's Police Chief Superintendent after 750 police had evicted students in occupation at Warwick University. Amongst this "massive show of force as the Coventry Evening Mail called it, were units of the Special Patrol Group, some of whom carried riot shields.
The students had already decided to leave peacefully —as the police knew-and immediately occupied another building on the campus. No doubt for the police it was good practice, but it also showed many of the local working class, who are on strike at Chrysler, and in occupation at Massey Ferguson, what they can expect.
Warwick students have been in occuwagon lor tour weeks to aerene rent strikers from victimisation. The authorities have used all sorts of intimidation to get them out-withholding of grants; threats not to pay college workers' wages; postponement of final examinations; and finally the police.
These moves have been met by strong opposition from the mass of students. On Saturday 800 students, including representatives from other parts of the country, marched through Coventry in support of the Warwick struggle, which is now the focus of the national attacks by the Vice Chancellors against the rent strikes and the grants campaign.
This fact does not seem to have sunk into the thick skills of the Communist Party dominated Broad Left, which controls both the executive of the NUS and the Warwick Students Union. At Warwick the Broad Lett have vacillated between ending the occupation by lowering the demands or staying in. Nationally the NUS did next to nothing to mobilise support for last Saturday's national demNO To IGN the building from which they were ejected. The T&GWU has left the crossing of the picket up to the individual members conscience, while the NALGO branch has decided to ignore the students' campaign and enter the building. In the past Warwick students have supported college workers in their struggles. Both are fighting the same enemy of the social contract which brings with it inflation, unemployment and the cuts in education and pubuc spending.
The defence of the Warwick struggle, and with it what is left of the grants camDaran must De taken us by an students. AI emergency national conference should be called. This occupation also has grave implications for the working class. The state uses students as a testing ground for techmiques wat can be just as casty used ag ainst factory occupations. Next time the riot shields will not be on the campus but