Almost half back student protests (Ten austrian universities occupied)

[zwielicht]

Source: Austrian Times

Forty-two per cent said that student protests were justified. Twenty eight per cent said they were not and a third of the 850 people questioned had no opinion. In the poll only 22 per cent said graduates of universities or other institutions of higher education had a good chance of finding suitable jobs, whereas 61 per cent said they had little chance of doing so. Businessmen, professors, journalists and politicians in 75 interviews said there were parallels between protests in the 1960s and current student unrest. Ninety-one per cent of the experts said students had a need for better education given anxiety about the future, and 84 per cent said student protests were a reason to fight for new educational goals. Meanwhile, Austrian students are continuing protest activities across the country.

ÖH heads Thomas Wallerberger and Sigi Maurer explained the recent protests, saying: "The students have had enough," stressing they were unhappy about the "catastrophic circumstances students are confronted with when studying at Austrian universities." They criticised the "constant threat of new restrictions" and called for a new structure of the Bachelor/Master studying system as well as for the abolition of study fees for people from non-EU countries. Organisers of the occupation of the Vienna University’s Audimax claimed their topics as presented on the online platform "Uni brennt!" (The University’s on Fire) – http://unibrennt.at – had become one of the most popular websites on social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook.

Read more: http://austriantimes.at/news/General_News/2009-11-02/17719/Almost_half_back_student_protests

---

For up to two weeks now, large halls in most Austrian universities are governed by an explosive self-organized grassroots democracy.

More information in English:

http://unsereuni.at/?lang=en
http://www.emancipating-education-for-all.org/content/academy-arts-vienna-occupied
http://de.indymedia.org/2009/10/264499.shtml
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=163329887062&v=info

[zwielicht]

1. short overview

http://wordandimage.wordpress.com/2009/11/02/die-uni-brennt-university-burning/

[JDPriestly]

2. Here is a little about this from an Austrian language newspaper

Bundescounselor Werner Faymann polarized opinions on Monday with his recognition of the need for qualifications for entrance in the universities. The head of the Socialist Party spoke out for the qualifications. Without them, it will not work, he said, even if, as he supports, admissions are increased. He does not want to raise false hopes (illusions) in students that cannot be fulfilled.


Bundeskanzler Werner Faymann polarisierte am Montag mit einem Bekenntnis zur Notwendigkeit von Zugangsregelungen an den Universitäten. Der SPÖ-Chef sprach sich für "eine Art von Zugangsregelungen" aus. Ohne diese werde es nicht gehen, selbst wenn, was er befürworte, mehr Studienplätze geschaffen würBuden, sagte der Kanzler. Er wolle bei den Studierenden keine "Illusion" wecken, die er nicht erfüllen könne.

http://derstandard.at/

I lived in Austria for years and never heard of the Austrian Times.

[zwielicht]

3. ;)

It seems to be a strange outlet of the official "Wiener Zeitung", there's also a "Croatian Times" and "Romanian Times".

Chancellor Faymann had declared some solidarity with the students, but yesterday he suddenly spoke out for access restrictions. He won the election after a parliament "revolt" (it was streamed live and discussed a lot at derstandard.at!) - quoting the original article: "Study fees were abolished last autumn only days before an early general election took place. All parties represented in Parliament – except the conservative People’s Party (ÖVP) – joined forces to bring the fees, introduced by an FPÖ (Freedom Party)-ÖVP government in 2001, to an end."

Der Standard reports extensively about the revolt: http://derstandard.at/r3653/UniPolitik

The whole thing evolved totally unexpected even by the most supportive.. amazing times over here :)

[zwielicht]

4. Austrian Times / No english coverage

Hm, I think I was wrong and they just seem to translate some Wiener Zeitung articles, their imprint says Kent, UK.

The only U.S. press reaction I've seen so far: http://bostonherald.com/news/international/europe/view.bg?articleid=1207400

[Blue_Tires]

5. more info:

http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-346433

[dysfunctional press]

6. "almost half back..."? i didn't know that they played american football in austria.

:shrug:

[zwielicht]

7. dysfunctional press, indeed

Hey, austrian teams have won the eurobowl for 6 years in a row now ;)

Seriously though, sorry for that, I wish there were more decent english language links!

"Austrian students are taking social media-trained organization to the ground" - http://www.simoncolumbus.com/2009/10/27/austrian-students-are-taking-social-media-trained-organization-to-the-ground/
"The most pragmatic generation of the postwar period is rehearsing the revolt" - http://translate.google.com/translate?&hl=en&js=n&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.profil.at%2Farticles%2F0944%2F560%2F254638%2Fdie-generation-nachkriegszeit-revolte&sl=de&tl=en&history_state0=

[zwielicht]

8. Plenum - live video streams right now

Vienna: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/unsereuni
Technical University of Vienna: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/tu-brennt
Salzburg: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/uni-brennt-salzburg
Innsbruck: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/sowimax

[zwielicht]

9. Occupations spread to Germany + A message from Audimax Vienna to students everywhere

Sorry for kicking this again!

A very rough translation:


"Dear students in Germany,

in Austria the universities are squatted. We see the need to personally inform you about what is happening at the moment, as it was not conveyed in the media that this protests are something new that has never existed before.

This protest was rooted in a totally spontaneous demonstration of solidarity, no Student representative or party organized this, purely from the awareness of the Education issue it has arisen and developed. This pure core, this motor we are feeling behind everything that happens here. Students of all disciplines have spontaneously - without any parent organization - come together to protest the studing conditions.

The extent of this action is proof that this is a central concern all European students are personally related to. We protest, not as the media presents it, but just also against the decisions of the Austrian Government, but primarily we do not agree, on a basic level, with Europe-wide trends such as the commodification of education and the loss of democracy in education institutions. These are transnational problems, which we, as students, will only be involved in if there are protests all over Europe.

Wanting self-determination of students and teachers is a key element of this movement in Austria. Therefore auditorium halls were occupied, which are now alive and hold constructive discussions, in which all students can participate at any time. It is important that there is not only protest, but that discussion spaces beyond public institutions and established platforms are created. In Austria, across regions this has already happened. The debates and protests will continue here and students in Austria are waiting for their German fellow students to disclose common problems.

November 5th is an international day of protest as a warm-up for a week of protest under the motto "Education is not for sale". The students and pupils in Austria will support this day with a big demonstration.

We encourage every single student in Germany, in Europe and beyond dissatisfied with her/his educational system.

Plenum (Assembly) of the occupied Audimax Vienna."


Source: http://unsereuni.at/?p=5531

Meanwhile a lecture hall in Heidelberg in Germany has been occupied. (german: http://www.bildungsstreik2009-hd.de)