Victoria students outraged by mass arrests

Victoria students outraged by mass arrests

Victoria University students are disgusted that student action at Massey University, Palmerston North has resulted in mass arrests.

“We are outraged that our fellow students have been arrested for exercising their democratic right to protest the Massey University fee increase”, said Catherine Belfield-Haines Victoria University of Wellington Students’ Association (VUWSA) President. “We stand alongside Massey students, supporting their actions in full and concur that tertiary institutions are raising fees unnecessarily”.

“New Zealand university students will be unified in pressuring Steve Maharey demanding that he tighten up fee increases”, said Belfield-Haines. “Fee increases for 2004 are completely unnecessary and cannot be justified. Obviously Councils are just trying to milk the cash cow, and they need to be stopped.”

“Yesterday Victoria University students staged a funeral for freedom of speech - obviously such repression is not isolated to Wellington” said Belfield-Haines.

“If Universities Management think that a few arrests are going to deter outrage at fee increases, they are sadly mistaken”.

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