Austrian students' protests expanding through Europe

November 15, 2009

A Europe-wide student movement, started in the Austrian capital of, is developing. It started on 28 October 2009 and met with the discussions following the in Germany on 15 October. For Tuesday 17 November &mdash; the 70th anniversary of the &mdash; a nationwide education strike in Germany has been announced. Radio reported in English about the demonstrations.

Speakers of the actions said, students are complaining that universities are underfunded and understaffed. The students' protest concerns the reforms and the tuition fees.

On Wednesday, 11 November some 600 students at the Free University of had occupied the largest auditorium of the central building of the humanities in the suburb of Dahlem. Afterwards actions took place in, and Basel, each with hundreds of participants.

The Potthoff building, a lecture hall of the has been occupied since Monday, 9 November. Actions also took place in, , , , and.