JCRs Hit Back in Rent Row
A university-wide silent protest is set to take place at formal halls across Oxford tonight. It aims to convey students' shock at College proposals to hike up rents to alarming new levels.
The protest will involve students tying grey balloons to their wrists to symbolise a 'ball and chain' and remaining silent for the duration of the meal.
Sarojini McKenna, Trinity JCR President, told the OxStu: "We are organising this protest because we simply cannot afford the increases". She said colleges should not be using students as "buffers" against potential financial difficulties.
So far, the response from JCRs is enthusiastic with Trinity, Pembroke, Wadham and Jesus participating on Thursday and LMH next Tuesday. St Hughes and St Hilda's have organised silent lunches when their SCRs will be present. Keble are planning a boycott of hall altogether whilst St. Peters may organise a 'noisy hall' as, due to SCR absence, silence would be pointless.
Worcester, Univ., Somerville and Magdalen have all passed motions supporting Trinity but are taking no direct action themselves.
Despite being one of the colleges hardest hit by the hikes, Exeter JCR has been lukewarm in its response to the proposed protest. President Rob Hopkins argued that because negotiations were not yet complete, this form of complaint would be "ineffectual" at the moment.
22nd May 2003