28 FEBRUARY 2016 — FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Launch of the #LUBarrie2019 Sudbury Mobilization Committee: Action Planning in Solidarity with Laurentian Barrie Students!

 

 

When: TOMORROW, Monday, February 29, 4-6pm

Where: Instruction Room (30-230), J.N. Demsarais Library, Laurentian University, 935 Ramsey Lake Rd

 

On Feb 12, Laurentian Board of Governors announced its unilateral decision to phase out academic programs offered in Barrie, leaving hundreds of LU students unable to continue their studies at the Barrie campus. This is a profit-driven move that comes at the expense of many who cannot uproot their lives to finish their degrees in Sudbury. In response, the students have organized sit-ins and rallies to make it clear that they will not suffer the university administration’s selfish whims.

 

While the actions of the past week in Barrie have been very inspiring, the struggle continues and they need more support. As students at the same university, we are uniquely positioned to express our solidarity by organizing similar actions that can directly help to push the struggle forward. But this opportunity is being wasted as our student associations and representatives remain mostly silent, compromised by their bureaucratic form and close ties to the administration. But this only means we should seize the initiative ourselves! The Board of Governors must be surrounded on all sides by the organized power of students.

 

That is why the Revolutionary Student Movement has called for the creation of the #LUBarrie2019 Sudbury Mobilization Committee, to open up a new front in the fight, right here on LU’s home turf. The Mobcom will be a democratic vehicle for collective struggle, not lobbyism and capitulation. It will not shy away from combativeness and political demands. It will mobilize broad sections of students and workers at the Sudbury campus for powerful actions that will help smash the administration's anti-student agenda. And to ensure it can achieve all this, the Mobcom will maintain independence from the officially sanctioned student associations.

 

We invite all students, faculty and service staff of LU in Sudbury who want to organize in support of the students and workers of LU in Barrie to attend the launch meeting this Monday afternoon at LU, and help shape the direction of the coming actions. Allies from the broader community are also welcome. If you want to join us but cannot attend the first meeting, or if you're with a group that wants to endorse the Mobcom and/or send delegates, please email LU.Mobcom@gmail.com or message the Facebook page.

We also invite all Laurentian Barrie students and groups who are interested in coordinating their actions with the Mobcom to contact us without delay. We look forward to seeing many of you at the planned action on April 15 in Sudbury, for which we hope students in Sudbury can mobilize alongside yourselves.

 

Read the Revolutionary Student Movement's full statement of solidarity and call to action here.

 

The meeting room is accessible. Child-care can be arranged on-site upon advance request. Free parking is available in Lot A in front of the Fraser Building.