UPDATE: Student Protestors End Occupation Of Brighton University Building "Against Our Will"

Students at the University of Brighton have ended their 11-day occupation of the University management offices, including the Vice Chancellor’s office.

The unidentified students, who were occupying the space on the 8th floor of the Cockcroft Building vacated the premises yesterday afternoon due to a sudden fire alarm sounding for evacuation.

The occupation was staged in protest of Brighton University’s plans announced in May to make 140 academic and professional services staff redundant. The students had one demand: ‘No redundancies’, and stated that they would not leave the offices until their demand was met.

They cut their protest short around 4pm yesterday when the alarm sounded the words:

"Attention please, attention please, a fire has been reported in the building, please leave immediately through the nearest exit, do not use the lifts".

According to the occupying students;

"Security at both entrances abandoned their posts immediately without notifying us, and one security guard gave us confusing information about where the nearest fire exit was.

"This is continuing in a wider theme of poor treatment by security and university staff throughout the occupation."

During the protest, the students allege that they faced homophobic and verbal abuse from employees of the university, as well as being flooded by raw sewage.

When cleaning supplies were dropped off at the building by supporters, the students say they "were forced to wait 12 hours for security to give us the supplies" and had other items such as "bedding, books, notebooks, stationary, and other items … stolen from our supply drops".

One student trying to drop off food to the protestors was told by security that they had it "written in front of [them] in clear writing that no food be delivered to the 8th floor", and added that the protestors could "eat when they leave".

In their statement released today the protestors said that they "have no trust that the orders given to security protect our welfare".

The protestors say they were prepared to stay in the building until their one demand was met, and are 'extremely sad' to have left the occupation early.

A University of Brighton spokesperson said:

"In the early hours of Thursday 25 May, five masked individuals forced entry into University offices. Over the course of the last week, three of these individuals left the occupation and the remaining two left on Sunday 4 June.

"Throughout this time the University was in regular contact with them to check on their wellbeing. Colleagues have dealt with them respectfully and great care was taken to ensure that they received the supplies that they requested including offering access to alternative toilet facilities.

"The University of Brighton is fundamentally committed to freedom of speech. We have accepted and provided space for students and staff to express themselves during the current period of change within the University. However, the occupiers caused significant damage to premises and disrupted the schedules of students and staff."