Here in Tampere and elsewhere in Finland, students have been raising their voices against budget cuts, against fee increases for international students, and against racist immigration policies, which together undermine the conditions for studying at university. Now students have called for an Action Day on Thursday, October 5. In Tampere, students are organizing a march beginning at 16:00 from the Main Building on the City Center campus to Keskustori.
Tatte believes that the conditions of academic work are inseparable from the conditions for studying, and we echo the students’ demands that all students’ livelihoods be supported rather than undermined. We hope you’ll join us on Thursday to march with the students and help spread the word to colleagues and friends. Please note that we are only asking people to join outside of their working hours and, thus, insofar as it doesn’t interfere with their scheduled work, such as teaching.
We are also sharing a leaflet (in both Finnish and English) that organizers have put together outlining some of the ways that university staff can support the takeover. We encourage our members to check out the list and think about how you might be able to pitch in. You can hear more from the takeover directly by following their instagram account (@tuni_leikkauksiavastaan).
We hope to see you at the march on Thursday at 16:00!