Reinstate Edd Bauer – suspended as Vice President of Birmingham Uni Guild for a banner drop!
Edward Bauer, Vice President Education of Birmingham University Guild of students has been undemocratically suspended from his sabbatical officer position for dropping a banner at the Lib Dem Party Conference in a protest against fees and education cuts.
This suspension represents an attack on the idea that Student Union representatives and officers should be at the forefront of campaigning against the government’s attacks on students. If an Education Officer is successful suspending for dropping an anti-cuts banner this will set a dangerous example for the future. It will also mean that Birmingham University will lose a dynamic and full time anti-cuts activist who is playing a leading role in organising the NUS back national demo on 9th November in London.
Yesterday Edd said the following about his suspension:
“I came back to work this morning at the guild of students to find I have been suspended. This is a undemocratic suspension and I will continue with my work campaigning to defend education at the University of Birmingham, which continues to face grave difficulties. The current suspension against me has been called undemocratically and unjustly before any investigation has taken place. It currently “indefinitely” bans me from using my work phone, e-mails or even entering the guild of student premises.”
Aaron Kiely NUS NEC and Co-convenor of the Student Broad Left said:
“It is completely wrong and unacceptable for democratically elected Student Officers to be removed by undemocratic means simply for peacefully campaigning against education cuts. Edd Bauer should be reinstated immediately and I will be doing what I can to persuade my colleagues within the NUS to join the campaign.”
Act now to support student anti-cuts activist Edd Bauer
1. Sign the mass petition to calling for Edd Bauer to be reinstated and encourage your friends to do the same. Follow this link to sign the petiton.
2. Email the Birmingham Uni Guild President who is responsible for suspending Edd telling him what you think about his decision: president@guild.bham.ac.uk. Please cc info@studentbroadleft.org.uk so that we can pass on all messages to Edd (who has had his email account blocked by the Guild of Students).
We call upon the National Union of Students to do everything it can to support Edd Bauer including by making the stongest possible representations to the Birmingham Guild of Students to reverse this decision.
