The Vice-Chancellor and Student Unrest

Abstract

I did not know him well; nevertheless I learnt a valuable, if embar rassing, lesson from Lord Boyle. It was learnt during my days at Leeds University when I had ‘masterminded’ a student occupation. Organised with military precision, all went according to plan until the University’s administration building was occupied. From that point on any semblance of reasonable control was lost. It dawned on me slowly that I had just done something very stupid. This perception was reinforced when I saw the grand piano being taken out of the goods lift and witnessed the first Maoist wall poster go up. The poster had a very un-Maoist, expletive — deleted word poem upon it, and the local anarchist group took up station on the piano. The ‘sound system’ was set up to allow anyone who felt inclined to express themselves at any stage of the day or night to do so. With sinking heart I tried to organise various committees to keep the proceedings within bounds. I was told there was no need for security as we would feel the need if it arose and spontaneously rise to protect each other. My worry was the portability of the University’s property rather than the citizens of the new free state I had helped to found.