A University of Manchester student has described the 'terrifying' moment bailiffs 'manhandled' them out a building following weeks of protests.
Students in the 'UoM Rent Strike' group have been occupying the Simon building on Oxford Road since February 13 as part of an ongoing protest over rent costs and living conditions in university-owned accommodation. In the week prior to that, they took over a further three buildings on the campus before vacating them, and this week they also staged a 'sit-in' at the John Owens building and protested outside the Board of Governors.
They are demanding a 30 per cent rent reduction, a rent freeze and a cost-of-living payment of £1,500, among other things. Last week university bosses began action to remove the occupiers from the Simon building, issuing court papers.
READ MORE: University of Manchester students forcibly 'dragged' out of campus building after weeks-long strike
They said the action was illegal and was causing disruption to other students and staff. On Monday, the High Court granted a possession order for the whole of the university's South Campus with notice being served on the occupiers.
However, the group said on social media that they had 'no intention to leave the occupied Simon building until forced to by bailiffs'. They said that at around 5.20am on Wednesday, a group of bailiffs entered the Simon Building and 'began forcefully removing student occupiers'.
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.
One occupier, a 20-year-old student at the University of Manchester who did not wish to be named, said the presence of bailiffs was 'terrifying'.
They told the PA news agency: "We all wake up to a massive bang, and about a dozen men in the room all suited and booted telling us to get up and get out. I was pushed into a lift while I was standing.
"But I was trying to ensure that everyone that was being carried was safely carried. So I was filming.
"There were a lot of people being manhandled – they’re supposed to be about four people per person, but they were like dragging people on the floor and stuff. So I was essentially escorting people to the lifts to try and make sure that they got out safely, filming everything, making sure they weren’t left with a bailiff by themselves.
"It’s a very scary experience. I think for most of us it was our first experience of a bailiff.
"And they were as terrifying as you think they are. It was all quite an intense experience."
Meanwhile the UoM Rent Strike group says a statement of solidarity with students currently withholding rent and engaging in university building occupation has been signed by MPs such as Jeremy Corbyn, John McDonnell and Nadia Whittome. The 20-year-old protester said that Wednesday’s incident has not discouraged them from attempting to achieve negotiations with the university.
"(The) university makes so much money and everyone’s living conditions are awful," they said. "All we want is them to negotiate with us and they just won’t do it.
"It’s really just reminded us why we’re doing this. We have no plans to stop trying to get them to negotiate with us."
A University of Manchester spokesperson said: "On Wednesday morning officers of the High Court attended the Simon Building to enforce a court order, on a small group of students who had been illegally occupying rooms there since 13 February 2023. This action follows multiple requests to those occupying the building to leave, and court hearing papers being served on the occupiers on March 15 2023.
"The Court granted the University a possession order on Monday, and copies of the order were served to the occupiers. We very much regret having to do this, but the situation has been going on for a significant amount of time and has caused ongoing disruption to students and the people who work in the building."
A spokesperson from Greater Manchester Police told PA that no arrests have been made over the last few days at the university, and around 16 people were removed from the Simon Building.
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