S11: Melbourne Uni students to vote

Issue 

Melbourne Uni students to vote on s11

BY RAY FULCHER

MELBOURNE — Students at Melbourne University will vote on August 31 on whether their student union will support the S11 protests against the World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting here on September 11-13.

The student union, controlled by right-wing Labor and Liberal students, has banned students from using its resources, including photocopiers, fax machines, meeting rooms and tables, to organise and publicise the protests. But the university's S11 collective was able to force the issue to a popular vote by collecting the number of signatures required to call a student general meeting.

Student union president Ben Cass, a member of the Labor Party, told the media that the union opposes S11 because of fears of "violence". Labor Premier Steve Bracks has called on Victorians to shun the protests, saying the WEF meeting will be good for investment in the state.

The union has tried to stop students from doing any anti-globalisation campaigning. The Socialist Alliance club was told it could not have stalls in Union House until after the WEF, and other student clubs were prevented from using union photocopiers to print flyers for a forum on globalisation, even though the service was being paid for. Both union actions were reversed after vigorous protests, including an August 23 sit-in at the union general manager's office.

The motion to be put to students on August 31 calls for a reversal of union policy on S11 and directs the union to use all its resources to build S11, allow office bearers to campaign for the protests, provide the Grand Buffet as a dormitory and meeting space for the duration of the protests, and grant $5000 to the S11 campaign and $7000 for bus hire to transport students to the anti-racism protests at the Sydney Olympics. The meeting will be held at 1.15pm in the North Court.

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