The Leicester Student-Worker Action Group (LSWAG), in collaboration with the Leicester University and College Union (UCU) were not deterred by the wet, chilly weather and held an organised march and rally on the 22nd of January, which lasted from 11 am-3 pm.
The protest began with a picket line by the main Leicester campus’ University Road entrance, at which multiple staff members and students, either directly affected by the cuts and terminations caused by the University’s Strategic Review, or simply staff members and students participating in solidarity with the affected members of our community.
Representatives of the university’s UCU have also produced a petition protesting the upcoming knighthood of our vice-chancellor, Nishan Canagarajah, with one of the demonstrators commenting on the reasoning behind the given knighthood, that the vice-chancellor is not “championing inclusion,” within the university.
Around noon, the rally commenced with vigorous chanting of slogans to gain attention from the surrounding public. A first-year geography student made a speech to the surrounding crowd, stating how students like himself have been deceived into coming to the university given the lack of transparency about its Strategic Review and its indifference to staff and student feedback.
He ultimately called for a collaborative student effort to use their voices and express their indignation towards the changes projected to be made within the coming years. As a part of the Strategic Review, a new internal school consisting of Chemistry, Geography, Geology might be created to focus on the environment and global challenges. This new school would be titled ‘Chemical, Earth, and Environmental Sciences’.
The university’s most recent statement from the vice-chancellor states ‘In order [for this university] to thrive we must focus our resources strategically’. The university is aware of the upset caused from the strategic review and are ‘committed to supporting everyone affected’.
During the rally, the protestors gathered in front of the David Wilson Library, where participating staff members and students took turns giving speeches, further encouraging solidarity between students and staff, asking for collective action through striking/protesting.
After the speeches at the David Wilson Library, the protesters marched from the surrounding area, heading towards Fielding Johnson and onto the Percy Gee Building, repeating chants targeting the vice-chancellor and SU President Matt Schofield.