A coalition of student groups have occupied a University of Manchester campus building to protest against the treatment of students and staff since the beginning of the academic year and throughout the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
They announced the occupation of the Samuel Alexander building on the main campus yesterday evening.
According to the UofM student newspaper, The Mancunion, the occupiers of the building – who have stated that the action is viewed as a last resort – have written an open letter to the university’s President, Nancy Rothwell, which details the reasons behind this second occupation, in addition to the demands of the occupation.
The student groups involved in the occupation are believed to be – Rent Strike, the Nancy Out! campaign, Cops off Campus, and Student Staff Solidarity UoM.
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We have now occupied Sam Alex building in protest against @OfficialUoM treatment of students and staff. We won’t be leaving until our demands are met: pic.twitter.com/UyddwJ04gp
A rent rebate of 30% for Semester 2 for all students living in University of Manchester halls, in line with last Semester’s rebate
Democratise Manchester: introduce elections for Vice Chancellors and other leadership positions, increase student representation in university structures, and diversify the Board of Governors in line with the Nancy Out! campaign’s structural change proposal.
A cash rebate of £1500 for all University of Manchester students, to be extracted from the University’s £200million savings fund.
Put an end to police patrols of the Fallowfield accommodation campus with immediate effect.
No compulsory redundancies for staff in the library whose jobs are currently in scope.
No punishment for occupiers and continued guarantee of no punishment for rent strikers.
The students have announced that they will occupy the building until demands are met.
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They have stated that while the occupation is taking place, they will not block students from accessing study spaces in the building in any way, and will remain quiet and respectful to students wishing to study inside the building.
Addressing the occupation of the building, a University of Manchester spokesperson told The Mancunion that: “A small number of students are currently occupying an area in one of our buildings without permission [and] staff are on site to ensure safety and welfare.
“We would ask that the students leave.
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“We understand that some of our students have concerns and we are continuing to work closely with their elected representatives”.
Although the university declined to comment on the specific demands of the occupation, The Mancunion confirmed that a representative drew attention to a fact sheet released in March, in which the university highlighted some of the ways that they have endeavoured to support students during the pandemic, ranging from investment in IT and library resources, to the Assessment Pledge.
According to this document, “students living in University accommodation who have not returned to their accommodation since the national lockdown announcement on 5 January are not being charged until the end of the current restrictions, or the date that they return to their accommodation in Manchester”.
Students are also able to break their halls accommodation contracts at any time during this academic year “without financial penalty”.
You can step inside a fashion show with Vogue’s immersive ‘Inventing the Runway’ show in Manchester
Thomas Melia
A Vogue immersive show titled ‘Inventing the Runway’ has arrived Manchester, and it’s even co-created by Anna Wintour herself.
Ever fancied learning more about the fashion world? Well, now’s your chance to hear everything you need to know from global fashion leaders and lifestyle magazine Vogue.
The Anna Wintour-approved immersive experience comes alongside the announcement of Factory International‘s Winter lineup, which features another new event all about voyaging to the moon.
Vogue: Inventing the Runway incorporates interviews, visual media and more to help attendees visualise fashion shows of the past, present and future.
Visitors will be surrounded by incredible visuals on all sides (including underfoot), fully stepping inside the world of high fashion.
As well as understanding how fashion shows became the pinnacle of a designer’s vision, this runway-themed display also includes looking back at iconic moments of fashion and pop culture.
‘Inventing the Runway’ by Vogue is focusing on outfits worn by models and A-listers alike, with narration from the one and only Cate Blanchett.
A glimpse inside Vogue: Inventing the Runway. Credit: The Manc Group
You can expect to see curated pieces by significant creative minds in fashion history like Alexander McQueen, Balenciaga, Stella McCartney, Vivienne Westwood and lots more.
Throughout the Vogue experience, as well as coming visually face to face with fashion, you will also hear a soundscape that perfectly reflects this innovative industry with a fusion of classical and pop music.
This fashion exhibition uses the same Lightroom technology behind the impressive David Hockney experience that opened back in December.
Anna Wintour, Chief Content Officer, Condé Nast, and Global Editorial Director, Vogue said: “At Vogue, we’ve been lucky enough over the decades to see many incredible runway shows, which have often told the story of fashion as much as the clothes themselves.”
“This Lightroom experience is a wonderful opportunity for a lot more people to experience first-hand the thrill of watching the history of fashion unfold right in front of them.”
You can experience Vogue’s ‘Inventing the Runway’ immersive show from 18 December to 10 January.
Find out more information and grab your tickets HERE.
Record 37.5 million journeys home for Christmas expected before the big day
Emily Sergeant
Drivers are being told to prepare for long queues, as a record number of festive trips are predicted across the UK ahead of the big day.
With the festive season generally known to make the roads nationwide busier than usual, travel warnings have now been issued to all those making Christmas getaway trips for the holidays – with an annual study by the RAC and INRIX suggesting that 37.5 million journeys are planned before Christmas Day arrives.
With Christmas falling mid-week again this year, the figures are suggesting that drivers are keen to set off early to avoid what will be an undoubtedly frantic coming weekend on the roads.
Around 18% of getaway journeys are expected to be made today and tomorrow (Wednesday 17 and Thursday 18 December, respectively).
But, the RAC expects the main wave of festive journeys to start this Friday (19 December) with a whopping 3.6 million trips planned, before this escalates even further to 4.1 million on Saturday (20 December).
A record 37.5 million journeys home for Christmas are expected before the big day/ Credit: Highways Agency (via Unsplash)
The figures predict this will be the busiest Saturday of any Christmas getaway period since its records began in 2013.
Approximately 3.5m journeys are then expected on Sunday (21 December), while a further 5.3 million trips are set to take place at some point between 19 and 21 December, although drivers haven’t decided what day they’ll travel yet.
According to the RAC’s research, there will then be a slight lull in festive trips at the start of Christmas week – with Monday and Tuesday being normal working days for many people – however, volumes of traffic could be at their highest since COVID on Christmas Eve when 4.2 million getaways are expected, making it the single busiest day for getaways over the period.
When it comes to the best and worst times to travel over the festive period, the research has revealed that the times to avoid when travelling along major routes will be from 4:30pm onwards, with queues of more than half an hour expected in Manchester on the M60 clockwise from J7 Altrincham to J18 for the M62 for Leeds.
On the two busiest days over the getaway period – this coming Saturday (20 December) and Christmas Eve – the RAC and INRIX are advising drivers to expect lengthy delays on major roads between 11am and 7pm, as this is when most journeys will be made.
After the big day, drivers are expecting to make 4.6 million journeys on Boxing Day and 4.1 million on Saturday 27 December, as they travel home or continue their celebrations elsewhere.
The Manc -
23rd April 2021 
