Students blockading drama university campus refuse to leave

Striking students of Budapest’s University of Theatre and Film Art have rejected an order by the university’s new leadership to vacate buildings of the central campus in Vas and Szentkirályi streets.

Representatives told a press conference they also rejected the management’s bringing the autumn break forward and said they would go on vacation between October 22 and 28 as originally scheduled.

They added that the students would seek legal remedy for “modifying the order of the school year”, a decision made by one of the vice-deans, whose appointment they consider illegitimate.

According to the students, Gábor Szarka, recently appointed chancellor of the university, could not support his decision to vacate the buildings in any way, while “the decision is a declaration of a political intent to silence the students”. Szarka, the students insisted, “abuses his powers, threatening unlawfully suspending salaries and cutting internet services (off the campus)”.

The students vowed to guard “each room” at the campus and continue the blockade until autonomy was restored.

According to press reports earlier in the day, the students had been called on to vacate the buildings by 6pm, and start their autumn break earlier than scheduled.