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We the undersigned unreservedly condemn the arrest of Michael Chessum, president of the University of London Union, for allegedly organising a demonstration apparently contrary to the Public Order Act 1986.

His arrest follows media revelations that Cambridge police officers have been attempting to pay undergraduates to inform on student ¡°activists¡± and the arrest in the ULU building itself of a student involved with the 3Cosas Campaign. We believe it is time to reiterate the basic position that universities are?centres of learning and we condemn the police¡¯s increasing role in stifling legitimate protest on university campuses.

Molly Cooper, Unison Greater London Women¡¯s Rep Service Group Executive
Max Watson, Unison NEC and London Met University Unison branch secretary
Sandy Nicoll, Soas Unison branch secretary and London region general seat, Higher Education Service Group Executive
Simon Deville, branch secretary, Birkbeck, University of London Unison
Sean Wallis, president, University and College Union brand, University College London, and secretary, London UCU HE, UCU NEC
Louise Lambe, Unison HE member
Yassin Benserghin UCL Unison vice-chair
Gyta Nicola, branch secretary, Institute of Education Unison
Des Freedman, secretary, Goldsmiths, University of London UCU
Ulrike Sommer, UCU departmental representative for the Institute of Archaeology
Tom Hickey, chair, UCU coordinating committee
David Hardman, London Met UCU membership secretary
Jacqueline Sheehan, branch chair, University College London Unison
Laurie Stras, University of Southampton UCU executive committee member
Marian Mayer, vice-chair, Bournemouth University UCU
John Fry, department of physics, University of Liverpool
Mark Campbell, London Met UCU (chair), UCU NEC
Daragh O¡¯Reilly, manager, Marketing and Cultural Industries Division
Management School, University of Sheffield
Sophie Hope, UCU Birkbeck branch secretary
Mike Lammiman, University of Hull UCU
Karen F. Evans, senior lecturer, department of sociology, social policy and criminology, University of Liverpool
John Baxter, UCU coordinating committee member, Sheffield College
Mark O¡¯Brien, membership secretary, Liverpool UCU
Marian Mayer, vice-chair, BU UCU
Javed Khanzada, Unison HE member
Lesley McGorrigan, UCU, NEC member and Yorkshire and the Humber regional secretary
Ciara Doyle, UCU
Kath Owen, Yorkshire and Humberside Unison service group executive
James Chiriyankandath, senior research fellow, Institute of Commonwealth Studies, School of Advanced Study, University of London
Geoff Williams, former UCL UCU joint president
Andy Higginbottom, principal lecturer, international politics and human rights
Kevin Moloney
Cliff Snaith, UCU London Met secretary and UCU London region secretary
Louis Bayman, department of film studies, Oxford Brookes University
Richard McEwan, UCU NEC
Sue McPherson, Sheffield Hallam University UCU branch officer
Pauline Croft, Royal Holloway, University of London
John Newsinger
Andy Coles, UCU study coach at the University of Manchester and Manchester Metropolitan University
Graham Mustin, joint branch secretary, Barnsley College UCU
Julie Hearn, Lancaster University
Jennifer Fraser UCU Birkbeck branch joint president
Linda Milbourne, Birkbeck UCU
Rebecca Gumbrell-McCormick senior lecturer, Birkbeck
Leo Zeilig
Hewal Sores, UCU equality officer, Bradford College
Mark Abel, UCU University of Brighton
Allister Mactaggart, UCU branch chair, Chesterfield College
Laura Miles, chair, Yorkshire and Humberside regional council UCU and UCU NEC
Anthony Leaker, lecturer in humanities, University of Brighton
Matthew Raine, University of Birmingham Unison branch secretary, West Midlands region general seat, Unison Higher Education Service Group Executive
Chris Cocking
Saladin Meckled-Garcia, vice-president, UCL UCU
David Graeber
Jonathan Gilhooly, lecturer, University of Brighton
David Oswell, head of department of sociology, Goldsmiths, University of London
Alex Colas, Birkbeck UCU
Raphael Salkie, School of Humanities, University of Brighton
Louise Purbrick, UCU member, University of Brighton
Gargi Bhattacharyya, University of East London
Alberto Toscano, department of sociology, Goldsmiths
Patrick Connellan, branch secretary, Nottingham Trent University UCU
Helena Reckitt, senior lecturer in curating, department of art, Goldsmiths, University of London
Kalbir Shukra, Goldsmiths UCU
Tomasa Bullen, Unison NEC HE (Female seat)
Amanda Kipling, Goldsmiths UCU
Jonathan Koestle-Cate, associate tutor, Goldsmiths
Anna Fairtlough, senior lecturer in social work
Jenny Robertson, principal lecturer, Brighton
Deire Osborne, Goldsmiths
Bob Brecher, Brighton
Vicky Macleroy, Goldsmiths
David Nicholson
Mike Hall, principal lecturer, School of Applied Social Science, Brighton
Gholam Khiabany
Vicky Margree, senior lecturer, humanities programme, Brighton
Elizabeth Saleh
John Wadsworth, former president, Goldsmiths UCU
Graham Gaskell, Goldsmiths UCU
Tony Rowell Unite and Lewes Stop The Cuts
Deborah Philips, Brighton
David Margolies, emeritus professor, Goldsmiths
Frances Renton, UCU
Patrick Ainley, University of Greenwich
Maria Pentaraki, senior lecturer in social work, Liverpool Hope University
Sonia McKay, European socio-legal studies, Working Lives Research Institute, London Met
Mike Finn, Liverpool Hope
Gary Anderson, senior lecturer, drama and theatre studies, UCU chair, Liverpool Hope
Jonathan Rosenhead, London School of Economics
Edward Rowley, London Met Unison
James Eaden, UCU and president, Chesterfield & District Trades Union Council
Roddy Slorach, UCU, St George¡¯s, University of London
Phil Vellender, UCU
Rachel Lara Cohen, department of sociology, City University London
Paul Kenny, Liverpool John Moores University
Jelena Timotijevic, UCU NEC
Malcolm Povey, University of Leeds
Elena Boschi, lecturer in visual communication, Liverpool Hope
Marion Hersh
John Murphy, president, Blackburn Trades Union Council, UCU chair, North West region
Margot Hill, UCU branch secretary, Croydon College
Jo Littler, UCU
Philip D. Butcher, St George¡¯s, University of London
Jesse Oldershaw, UCL UCU