OVER a thousand students and dons demonstrated in Cambridge midday yesterday against the banning of Owen Holland from the university until October 2014.
Taz Razul, the access officer of the Cambridge Students Union, said: ‘We are demonstrating about the treatment of Owen Holland, a PhD student at Cambridge university.
‘Two days ago a university court banned him from the university until October 2014.
‘He took part in a protest a couple of months ago. He and a large group of students went into a meeting, where David Willetts, the Education Minister, was invited to speak on “The idea of the university”.
‘Owen Holland read out a poem condemning the privatisation of education, and others repeated the words of the poem until Willetts left the meeting.
‘The university have picked on one student; they denied him the right to take a student union representative with him.
‘The court announced the sentence, but have not released the proceedings.
‘Sixty students and academics wrote a Spartacus letter saying “prosecute all of us”.
‘The purpose of today is to try and get him reinstated.’
Chris Page, a third-year English student, said: ‘I think this verdict is ridiculous and completely unprecedented in university law.
‘The last time someone was rusticated, it was for plagiarising a PhD thesis.
‘There has been tremendous support for Owen and so many people have come today because they all agree that they should not have, A: singled out one person for a collective act and B: ruined one person’s career over one thing.
‘Put in context, the last protest-related incident was in 2008-9 when a student threw a shoe at the Chinese Premier and got a slap on the wrist.
‘It is a draconian and archaic, medieval style of justice.
‘The university are sending a message; “If you put a toe out of line we will ruin your career.”
‘There is blatant hypocrisy. They say you can stand up for free speech but the poem was condemning Willetts for privatising education.
‘We do need to be saying things, as the next thing they are privatising is the NHS and they are cutting benefits and welfare schemes.’
A large crowd of over a thousand students gathered opposite the Senate building with the Cambridge Students Union banner.
A message was read out from Owen Holland, who had been advised not to come.
He sent his thanks to the student body, saying: ‘I plan to appeal the sentence to a higher court.
‘Do not be queasy, be unflinching in your gaze.
‘There are much worse cases. On the 26th of March Alfie Meadows, who took part in the tuition fees protest and was injured, is facing a real court and a potential 18-month prison sentence.
‘We live in a topsy-turvy world.’