University of Manchester students forcibly 'dragged' out of campus building after weeks-long strike

Student protesters occupying a building at the University of Manchester were forcibly removed by court bailiffs this morning (Wednesday).

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.

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They are demanding 30 percent rent cut backdated to October, a cap on rent for the next three years, for the university to aim to provide student halls that meet the NUS definition of 'affordable' and for no disciplinary action to be taken against strikers.

Last week university bosses began action to remove the occupiers from the Simon building, issuing court papers. They say 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'

Officers of the court arrived early on Wednesday morning to forcibly remove them. The group said the bailiffs 'arrived with no warning' at around 5.20am and after 'forcing entry through the door' they 'expected the roughly 20 current occupiers to rapidly clear their belongings.'

'Occupiers refused to leave of their own accord, so bailiffs