A student rent protester has described how they were removed by bailiffs from a University of Manchester building in the early hours of the morning, describing it as a “very scary experience”. Protesters at the university are demanding a 30% rent reduction, a rent freeze and a cost-of-living payment of £1,500, among other things.
One method has seen student protesters occupy buildings to communicate their message, with the Simon Building at the heart of the University of Manchester campus occupied since mid-February. The UoM Rent Strike 2023 group said that at around 5.20am on Wednesday a group of bailiffs entered the Simon Building and “began forcefully removing student occupiers” after a possession order was granted in court on Monday and a notice given to occupiers on Tuesday.
They said bailiffs arrived with “no warning” and, after occupiers refused to leave of their own accord, “forcefully dragged and carried them out the building”. Pictures and video shared by the @rentstrikeUoM Twitter account show people being lifted and removed by workers in black uniform.
