Reparations for the 'Everything Room' at University of Otago
Last month, 3 people were arrested for intentional damage at the University of Otago. We are raising funds for the cost of the damages.
Dunedin, Otago
Last month, three people were arrested for intentional damage at the University of Otago. The arrests came after a group of mostly students “repurposed” a disused office block in the Business School by painting the walls to protest staff cuts and “University mismanagement”. This charge - upgraded from the original willful damage - carries a maximum sentence of seven years in prison.
The most likely outcomes of activists' court date will be diversion, if the activists are able to pay $15,000 in reparations.
Heavy-handed as this is, a court diversion would keep this action off of their criminal records, meaning that they would not be disadvantaged for their efforts to protect public education.
Please share, and give as you can. These activists are paying the price for defending a public good for their community, as a community it is on us to respond in kind.
https://www.critic.co.nz/news/article/10773/three-people-arrested-protesting-uni-mismanagement
https://www.critic.co.nz/news/article/10792/everything-room-activists-appear-in-court
Use of funds
Funds are being raised for the cost of damages.
Latest update
Everything Room Benefit Gala 15 September 2023
The cuts to education roll on, as does our fundraising.
The university wants the protestors to pay $15,000 in reparations, this is the price tag for keeping the issue out of criminal proceedings. This is a brutal figure (a figure that includes whiteboard damage and trash removal??), but with your support we have some confidence that we can find a way to reach it. That price must be paid very soon, so we'll borrow some money to buy us a bit more time.
One of the key drivers behind the protest was the concept of ‘everything’ - that you cannot separate a staff member from losing their job or a student losing their course from wider societal issues, everything from financial mismanagement to government underfunding to the climate crisis.
To help in raising the money, we have organised an Everything Room Benefit Gala to be held at our local cooperative, Yours (43 Moray Place), from 3 PM on Friday 17th November.
Like the protest, the benefit gala is open to everything. Anything you could do to help keep student protesters out of court would be a fantastic and deeply felt display of solidarity.
Latest donations
Who's involved?
Page Q&A
Ask a question hereAny concerns?
Report this pageThank the donor
Your message will be displayed on the page and emailed to the donor.
Your new message will also be emailed to the donor.
Saving a blank entry will delete the current comment.