Rhodes students have been urged to stay within the bounds of the University campus during their third day of protest in Grahamstown on Wednesday 21 October in the national #FeesMustFall campaign by tertiary students. Students are set to gather at the intersection of Somerset and New Streets from 5am today.
Rhodes students have been urged to stay within the bounds of the University campus during their third day of protest in Grahamstown on Wednesday 21 October in the national #FeesMustFall campaign by tertiary students. Students are set to gather at the intersection of Somerset and New Streets from 5am today.
Driven by the call for affordable access to higher education, students at universities across South Africa have planned a national shut-down today.
According to a post from the student representative council on its Facebook page last night, students will gather from 5am, when they will rebuild the barricades blocking entrances to the Rhodes University campus.
From 9am the students will assemble in front of the Drama Department for a march which begins at 10am.
The SRC said it had received advice from the Black Lawyers Association about how students could remain protected during today’s action.
The SRC encouraged students to stay on campus, saying the advice the BLA had given them was that beyond the barricades, students would not be protected by the law in any protest action.
Following reports that police had been heavy handed during Monday’s protests, the Rhodes SRC advised participants in today’s action to identify through their name badge any officer using excessive force.
“The perpetrator will be held accountable… Please approach and member of the BLA for any incident that occurs so we can provide assistance and report it to the relevant authorities,” the Rhodes SRC said.
They asked students to remain disciplined, and to refrain from damaging any property or inciting violence during tomorrow’s protest, saying, “It is important that we maintain this as being a peaceful protest, as that is protected within the confines of our Constitution.”
The Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University is the latest to join the #FeesMustFall protest.
Students there Tuesday night interrupted an achievers awards event on the campus. The event was cancelled. The NMMU students said they would join today’s protests.
Students at the University of the Witwatersrand were the first to embark on action over proposed fee increases.
Rhodes, then Stellenbosch and Fort Hare University were among the first to see protests after that in the national action.
