Manifesto read out during the demonstration on the 26th of March

Video of the demonstration

Manifesto read outside the ERC headquarters in Barcelona during the demonstration against the Bologna Process on the 26th March 2009

Note: The ERC - “Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya” (the Catalan Republican Left) is a political party which forms part of the “triparty” government of Catalonia. It is the political party to which Josep Huguet, Catalan Minister for Innovation, University and Businesses, belongs.

“The authorities responsible for the current conflict in Catalan public universities are turning a political issue into a public order problem. The protesters here today hold Josep Huguet, the Minister of Innovation, Universities and Businesses, responsible for this approach. We feel that he has done absolutely nothing to open up a means of dialogue regarding the future of our public universities.

It is an institutional failure that has become evident and manifested itself through the decision to use police to silence rather than democratic and institutional means.

The Mossos d'Esquadra (the Autonomous Catalan police force) violently try to surpress the voices that speak out against a university reform that wants to subject the university to business interests. Our criticisms and proposals are censured and manipulated with the objective of making the crisis in the universities appear to be the concern of a minority.

Despite the repression that we face, the movement will continue to grow even if we face the truncheons of the police. We are ever more and more: teaching personnel, administrative and service personnel, students, secondary school unions and new social movements.

Because of this we demand that Mr. Huguet reconsiders his position and stops ignoring the current unrest within the university student community. The conflict persists and the only solution is the paralysation of the implementation of the EHEA (European Higher Education Area) and the initiation of a real and profound debate regarding the future of knowledge and the university of the 21st century.

We are all here together to construct a new quality public university model made with society for society.

Huguet is the responsible politician, either he shows his face or resigns!

Huguet resignation!