Na Grécia: as Universidades estão ao rubro!!!

Dear comrades and friends,

the moments we are experiencing in almost ALL University departments in Greece are unique! It is very characteristic that the last students General Assemblies that had a similar turnout with what is happening these days, takes us back to 1999!!!

Last Thursday, 80 University departments were occupied and 8.000 students and professors participated in a national student demo in Athens. Today, according to the latest news from all around the country, approximately 190 departments are under occupation!!!

The Assembly of the national Co-ordination of Occupations which was organized last Thursday after the national demo in Athens, formed a common declaration, which has been proposed (and voted positively!!!) in the General Assemblies of almost all Schools and Departments. It also decided to call for simoultaneous demos in all Greek cities that have a University schoold or department tomorrow (at 12.00).

The major forces that form the block of occupations are the Network of Autonomous Radical Left Student Groups (DARAS) and the Unified Independent Left Movement (EAAK-extreme left), together with a number of other, smaller Left groups that participate in the Greek and/or the European Social Forum. In many Assemblies the youth members of the "Socialist" Party (PASOK, former Government) also vote positively on the question of occupation.

But the most important thing is that thousands of students, after a very long time of immobility and indifference, participate in the Assemblies in their Schools and support this movement against one of the most ultra-neoliberal reforms in Higher Education: the reformation of the Legal Framework for the Initiation and Function of Greek Universities.

Through an extensive reform of the Legal and Constitutional Framework, the Greek right-wing Government wishes to:
- Reduce the percentage of student participation in the Administration of Universities.
- Put a time barrier for the completion of our studies (X+2 years). Students that will exceed tis barrier, will be expelled.
- Open the way for the introduction of private Universities (which are now forbidden according to the Greek Constitution).
- Introduce a marketized "evaluation" of all Schools according to the criteria of the Bologna and Lisbon Process.
- Make the Academic Asylum more "flexible" in order to make its violation by the Police easier.

At the same time with the students, the Greek Federation of Unions of Teaching and Research Staff (POSDEP) is on the verge of a very important fight for the protection of public and free Higher Education and goes on with a permanent strike!

The next week (next round of General Assemblies around the country) is very critical for the continuation of mobilizations and the future of our movement. We are determined to hold strong, until the Minister of Education announces the withdrawal of the Reform, at least for the Summer (their aim until now is to vote the reform in the Summer session of the Parliament, so that all Schools are closed and we are not able to react).

The "defeated" are back... It's time we remember how is it to win!

text emailed by Yiannis Bournous, International Affairs Responsible of Neolaia Synaspismou - The Youth of Synaspismos.

[Outras informações retrospectivas, sobre estes protestos e a luta que está a ser travada na Grécia, podem ser encontradas: no IndyMedia holandês (info do dia 30) e nestes albúns de fotografias.]