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MELBOURNE: On Wednesday the 20th of August around three hundred students and unemployed people occupied the finance department of RMIT on the fifth floor of Kay House on Swanston Street. One week later there are still around fifty people in occupation. They are there to demand that Vice Chancellor Beanland reverse the decision to accept full fee paying undergraduate students in 1997.
Morale is high amongst the occupiers. The support work is being carried out by another bunch of sturdy student activists. Outside support has also been brilliant the power, telephones and water have not been disconnected thanks to trade union support.
It is marvellous to see the trade unions and students united in action together.
However to really stop up front fees altogether across all campus' we must organise a fight to come out of this occupation that spreads nation wide and involves 100's of 1000's of students in mass direct action.
All involved with the occupation at RMIT deserve hearty congratulations of reminding us what the might of mass direct action can achieve. More militant action of this kind should be expected by universities all over the country if they continue with the introduction of up front fee's for undergraduate studies.