PAGE 8 THE OTHER PRESS [ Feature The Universite de Moncton students have tried to combat the raise in tuition fees by taking direct action. Here is the story of one of the most militant student protests from a Canadian university in years, the actual occupation and its aftermath. by Ken Burke Reprinted from the Dalhousie Gazette by Canadian University Press ; ' April 11, 1982 wasn’t a normal Easter Sunday for about 200 Universite de Moncton students. On a normal Easter Sunday, they wouldn’t have been sleeping in- side the main administration building. They also would- n’t have been awakened at 4 a.m. by Moncton city police in full riot gear, herded into the streets, some of them handcuffed, arrested, and taken to the city jail in a transit bus. But this wasn’t just any Easter Sunday, this was the seventh day of the Universite de Moncton student occupation. Located in the core of downtown Moncton, New Brunswick, Universite de Moncton is a small franco- . phone university in a bilingual province otherwise endowed with English speaking universities. Dominating the campus is the large brown-brick Taillon building, the location of the U de M admin- istration offices. Once a convent, the five story struc- ture is between 90 and 100 years old. _ In the Taillon building is the office of U de M’s recteur (dean), Gilberte Finn. Finn is a highly respected businessperson around Moncton and well known in boardrooms across the _province. His spot firmly fixed in the Canadian estab- lishment, Finn is chair of the board and cheif executive officer of Assomption Mutual Life Insurance as well as chair of four local companies, president of another four, and director of 13 businesses ranging from Brunswick -Mining and Smelting to the George Dumont hospital. Finn is also the director of the National Bank of Canada. Being recteur of the Universite de Moncton is one of the more colourful feathers in Finn’s cap. Never a scholar-his education consisits of a B.A. and C.L.U. (Chartered Life Underwriter) - Finn brought his bus- iness knowledge to the job of recteur. “HHe’s a business man—probably a very good one. But who wants a business man as dean? Finn had repeatedly been accused by the student: federation of failing to support students in any govern- mental issue. A statement issued by LaFederation des Etudiants de l’Universite de Moncton (FEUM) after the occupation declares that he ‘‘considers all forms of negotiation on a unilateral level.’’ Rachel Roy, a mem- ber of the occupation’s negotiating committee said, ‘*He’s a business man-probably a very good one. But who wants a business man as dean?’’ : Discontent had been growing within the U de M student community long before April 1982. Most stu- dents at U de M are Acadian, hailling from the econom- ically depressed francophone communities of New Brunswick. In some places, unemployment runs as high as 30 percent. According to FEUM, the average _yearly income in Acadia is $15,000, lagging tar behind other parts of Canada. U de M students are especially dependant on aid and bursaries to attend university. FEUM places the number of students relying on loans and bursaries at 75 per cent of the total student population. In order to, qualify for the maximum $3,500 available in loans and busaries, a student’s parents had A. = Sa X\ FEBRUARY 9, 1983 Universite de MV to earn less than $9,000 per year. At U de M tuition had been spiralling upwards steadily over the previous five years. Between 1976 and 1981 the cost of tuition had gone up 85 per cent. The previous year alone had seen a 23 per cent jump in tuition fees. Finn is on record stating he prefers increases in tutition fees to government underfunding. For many students, last April seemed like the right time to act. It had been rumoured since September 1981 that tuition fees, then standing at $950, could intrease by as much as 25 per cent at U de M. By April, students had already taken one major action against the proposed fee increases- one which ironically would serve to further the communication hoe ai between the administration and the stu- ents. At a general meeting of the FEUM, the 500 students present decided to remove the current student rep- presentative on the Board of Governers from his pos- ition. The reason they gave was he ‘‘was in favour of tuition increases and often took individual decisions without any consultation with the students.’’ However, since replacing him would require an election, students were left without a representative on the board. ‘Between 1976 and 1981 the cost of tuition had gone up 85 per cent’ The board meeting called for April 13, 1982 finally pushed the students into action. Since the April board meeting traditionally dealt with tuition fees, the FEUM executive approached the board’s president to be per- _Mitted to present a paper on tuition fees at the board meeting. The president said the meeting was ‘‘closed’’ and ‘‘students already had a member on the board’’ (the revoked the position). To protest the lack of input, FEUM organized a rally to be held during the meeting. _ Fewer than 60 students gathered outside the Taillon building that afternoon to try and communicate their position to the board. Right on schedule the board members arrived at the building, passed through the group of students, and entered the building. er a 15 minute discussion, the Board of Governors left quietly through a back exit to meet on the twentieth floor of a Moncton office building. Four hours passed before the students uncovered the new location of the meeting. Three students were sent downtown to make one last effort at presenting their viewpoint to the board. Upon their arrival they found an empty meeting room, save for the president of the board and Finn. All either would say was no final decision had been made on the tuition scale. ““‘We were pretty discouraged.’’recalls Steve Alex- ander, one of the student envoys. A meeting was called the next day to decide on a course of action. FEUM was going to have to put the pressure on. On a half days notice 250 students showed up. Their mood was one of resignation. “We had to occupy the building,’’ says Alexander. “It was a way to get our point across.”’ Access that evening to the Taillon building was - gained through Kacho, a student-operated nightclub in the basement. The Kacho had its own entrance and was Serene from the rest of the building by one locked oor. ‘All you had to do was unscrew the door and you had the whole building to yourselves,’’ said Rachel Roy. At 11 p.m. about 100 students began shutting up the building, barring and locking all windows and doors. There was one confrontation that first night. “Security (guards) managed to get in the night we occupied and advised the students to leave. The stu- “We had to occupy the building...It was a way to get our point across” dents then advised the security people to leave. Th did,’’ said Alexander.. Committees were struck to facilitate the occupgss They included: security, board and lodgings, i iations, education and mobilization,-media, health-a finances. On Monday morning (April 5) only students w identification and cafeteria staff were allowed into t Taillon building by the occupying students. The stude residence cafeteria in the basement was kept open | the duration of the occupation. “‘We didn’t want to do anything wrong to students said Roy. The occupation was faced with the problem of fee ing and lodging 250-300 occupants of the buildir Money from donations went towards three specia planned meals a day plus something set aside | midnights snacks. ; “‘We probabaly ate better than the residence pe ple,’’ said Brenda Cote, FEUM president. It was soon decided after the occupation began tl the same people could not stay in the building all t time. To assure that occupying students slept in r beds some nights, a rotation was set up with t residence students volunteering their rooms and be for the Taillon occupants. j With this rotation system about 600 students we involved in the occupation out of 2500 students enroll at the Universite de Moncton. General meetings h twice daily to govern the students’ action had atter ance nearing 1,000 every time. More support and financial contributions began co ing in almost immediately. Moncton labour uni Dalhousie University Student Union, the Maa Fisheries Union and the Canadian Federation of S$ dents are only a few of the Sapa that issued sta ments of encouragement. Professors from the Monct Faculty Union also joined in, undertaking mediation the students. Then came the first arrest. i On the first two days of the occupation, barricac had been set up in the city streets running through t campus. According to Roy, the barricades were ne" seen as a means of sealing off the campus or stoppi classes but rather as a means of publicizing and dra ing attention to their ongoing struggle. Located in t heart of Moncton, the barricades caused’ monumen traffic snarls and ‘‘upset quite a few people’’, adm Roy. There was never any attempt made to stop peo; from walking across or to the university. The barricade was broken down by Moncton C Police. They arrested and charged one megapho: carrying student for ‘‘inciting to riot.’’ “We didn’t want todo anything wron to the students.” ‘The student at the barricades was using the me¢ phone telling the students to be quiet, be calm, down and respect the police. Then they arrested him said Cote. Throughout the occupation the Moncton police q to have any French-speaking officers on duty. In addition to their demands for a freeze on tuiti fees, the students immediately demanded that chars be dropped against the arrested student. The freeze on tuition was a negotiable demar according to Roy. ‘‘We had to start somewhere negotiating).’’ But the negotiating committee fou their efforts stifled by an ‘‘uncompromising attitud on the part of the administration. Inside the building security was a constant headact On Monday the occupation leaders allowed the chief university security into the building to satisfy hims the building was not being vandalized. While bei given a tour of the building the security chief also not flaws in the students’ hastily planned security arrans ments. | The same day security guards slipped into the bui