RMIT occupiers speak

RMIT occupiers speak

Ray Fulcher, Green Left Weekly's correspondent in the occupation, asked some of the students why they were taking this action.

Anya: Fees are fucked. The government's only function should be to structure the needs and the wants of the people into something that works. There shouldn't be a power difference between people and government. I don't believe in simplistic solutions, but something simple can have an effect.

Liz: I'd like to study at RMIT one day and won't be able to afford to pay up-front fees and study at the same time. Also it's wrong in principle; it makes education a commodity, something that you can buy and sell, and it shouldn't be like that.

Emilie, high school student: To stop cuts to Austudy and up-front fees

Tiago: Because I believe in anarchy and the only way to speed the revolution is through protest. We're living in a commune and that has immediate and long-term effects; it can show people our ideas do work.

Leah, RMIT TAFE: I'm here to support the higher education students facing up-front fees and also the TAFE students facing fees if they switch to higher education to upgrade their course.

Claire, Victorian College of the Arts: It's a good way to get the attention of RMIT. Once one campus has up-front fees, they'll all follow.

From GLW issue 288