Warwick UCU supports Protect Warwick Women

Since 18 March 2021, University of Warwick students led by Protect Warwick Women (PWW) have been protesting the University’s failure to adequately respond to, and prevent, sexual misconduct at the University. Starting with a sit-in on the central campus piazza they have since moved to occupy University House. 

PWW’s demands, which focus on such critical issues as training for campus security and students, signposted safe spaces, better support for those who experience sexual assault, and more appropriate penalties for those who are found guilty of sexual assault, all focus on urgent matters that would help to make the University safer for all students and staff.  

Warwick UCU stands in solidarity with student protestors and calls on the University to enter into immediate and intensive discussions with PWW and other stakeholders. These discussions should focus – not on how to end the protests – but on how to address the problem of sexual assault and the University’s support to survivors, so as to ensure a culture and environment in which all students and staff feel safe, and which all members of the University can be proud.

Day 4: Sunshine, Laughter, Anti-Racism

Today was another excellent day on the picket line! Fortunately, the weather gods smiled on us, and we finally got some sun and blue sky.

We were delighted to have the company of Aisghair, a beautiful, and very enthusiastic, dog.

First, we congregated at the bus interchange, picked up materials (and, crucially, donuts) and dispersed to picket at various campus entrances.

We returned to the interchange a couple of hours later, for a session of laughter yoga led by Nese Ceren. This involved imagining ourselves in a number of different scenarios, such as having a funny conversation on the phone; being in an argument; and dragging a heavy bag while attempting to catch a train.

We spent plenty of time laughing at each other, as well as at ourselves: a refreshing change from a regular day at a university!

After a bit more chanting (“They say casualise / We say organise!”), we closed the picket for the day.

Later we went to The Graduate for a timely teach out titled “Anti-Chinese racism at Warwick: contagious even when apparently asymptomatic?” This gave us the opportunity to have an important conversation about Sinophobia, and the ways in which it is intertwined with current anxieties to do with the coronavirus.

Looking forward to seeing you again tomorrow. It looks set to be a busy, but fun, day. We’re meeting at the bus loop at 10am, and picketing in various locations. There are two teach outs: one called “Patients not passports”, on the policing of the NHS, led by historians Laura Schwartz and Roberta Bivins; the second, “Let’s get multilingual!”, is led by Carolin Debray and Richard Smith from Applied Linguistics. Finally, there’s the International Solidarity March, which starts at 1.30 on the piazza.

Solidarity!