The occupation of Bramber House ended peacefully yesterday as 15 protesters chose to leave the building voluntarily, after a court granted the University of Sussex a possession order. The conference centre of Bramber House had been occupied by students for just over 52 hours before the decision was made to leave before bailiffs forcibly evicted them.
Speaking yesterday to UniTV before the court order was issued, one of the protesters explained that eviction would by no means be the end of the campaign to protest Luqman Onikosi, a former Sussex student, from being deported by the Home Office.
Shortly after students left the building, a team of over ten enforcement officers entered the conference centre and forcibly ripped down banners and signs left behind by the occupiers and combed the area looking for incriminating evidence.
In a statement on social media, the occupiers explained that “the injunction the University took out against us, the increasing security presence and the threat of bailiffs led us to believe that our safety would likely be compromised if we stayed. We have no intention of ending the fight to stop Luqman’s deportation… and we have sent a revised list of demands to the University.”
They added: “We want to wholeheartedly thank everybody who donated food and other resources to us, and those who provided a strong presence at the demos on the ground. Your help and support are invaluable to this fight.” They also announced plans to hold a meeting next week to discuss next steps.
It is believed that supplies left over from the occupation are to be donated to the local Real Junk Food Project.
For a full timeline of the occupation, click here.
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