Having spent 10 days in jail for unfurling a banner, Edd Bauer, vice-president for education at the University of Birmingham Guild of Students, has been suspended from his post as a democratically elected students' officer.
Bauer was arrested on 16 September after unfurling a banner at the start of the Liberal Democrat party conference protesting against university fees and education cuts. He was held in Aston Police Station over the weekend and in Winson Green Prison from 19 September until 26 September.
His arrest and detention for a minor act of civil disobedience has been widely criticised as repressive criminalisation of peaceful protest. The charge against him is that he intended to cause a road traffic incident. He has pleaded "not guilty".
John Hemming, Liberal Democrat MP for Birmingham Yardley, spoke in court in support of Bauer's bail application. He said: "While I do not believe he should have put the banner there in the first place, the protest was peaceful and placid and I think it is disproportionate to keep him in prison any longer."
Despite the continuing trial, wide public support for Bauer and his not-guilty plea, the Birmingham Guild of Students - without consultation with its democratic bodies - has suspended Bauer from his role "indefinitely" and with "immediate effect".
We call on the managers of the Guild of Students to respect democracy in the students' union and allow Bauer to continue his work until the matter has been investigated and discussed at a union general meeting or a student union council with all the information to hand. We do not consider any disciplinary action valid unless it is decided democratically by students at either a UGM or a students' union council.
Len McCluskey, general secretary, Unite
John McDonnell, MP for Hayes and Harlington
Mark Serwotka, general secretary, PCS union
Mark Campbell, University and College Union
Kevin Courtney, deputy general secretary, National Union of Teachers
Diane Holland, Labour Party National Executive Committee
Bob Crow, general secretary, RMT union
Sue Blackwell, UCU
Ruby Hirsch, NUS National Executive Council
Vicki Baars, NUS LGBT officer
Kanja I Sesay, NUS black students officer
Matt Bond, NUS disabled students NEC
Michael Chessum, NUS National Executive Council and National Campaign against Fees and Cuts
Kingsley Abrams, Unite
J. Darlington, Unite British Aerospace
Simon Weller, national organiser, ASLEF (train drivers’) union
Ian Hodson, president, BFAWU (Bakers, Food and Allied Workers Union)
Tony Woodhouse, chair, Unite executive
Manoj Kerai, welfare and diversity officer, Goldsmiths Students’ Union
Dan Risdale, vice-president, education and welfare, York St John Students’ Union
Stanley Ellerby-English, activities and development officer, London School of Economics Students’ Union
Alex Peters-Day, general secretary, LSE Students’ Union
James Haywood, president, Goldsmiths Students’ Union
Maev McDaid, president, Liverpool Guild of Students
Bob Sutton, vice-president, Liverpool Guild of Students
Ruth Brewer, vice-president, Liverpool Guild of Students
Zahid Raja, NUS Wales NEC
Andrew Tindall, Aberystwyth Students against Cuts
Clare Solomon, Counterfire
Mike Williamson, Edinburgh University Students’ Association
Sean Rillo Razcka, vice-president, University of London Union
Kelley Temple, women’s officer, NUS Scotland
Mark Bergfeld, NUS NEC
Arianna Tassinari, co-president, welfare and education, School of Oriental and African Studies Students’ Union
Jade Baker, NUS women’s committee
Emma Kerry, NUS LGBT committee
Alusine Alpha, union secretary treasurer, University of Bradford Student Union
Izzy John, welfare officer, Warwick Students’ Union
Leo Boe, president, Warwick Students’ Union
Chris Luck, democracy officer, Warwick Students’ Union
Matthew Rogers, societies officer, Warwick Students’ Union
Sean Ruston, education officer, Warwick Students’ Union
Hannah Dee, Defend the Right to Protest
Joshi Sachdeo, vice-chair, Birkbeck Students’ Union executive committee
Kai Weston, NUS LGBT committee
James McAsh, NCAFC, Edinburgh
Daniel Lemberger Cooper, president, Royal Holloway Students’ Union
Fionnuala McGoldrick, NUS LGBT committee
Sarah Kerton, postgraduate and mature students’ officer, University of Manchester Students’ Union
Sam O’Connor, University of Manchester Students’ Union
Paul Brandon, Right to Work
Birmingham Green Party
Birmingham Against the Cuts
Janine Booth, RMT
Joe Kelly, NUS LGBT committee
Liam McNulty, Cambridge Defend Education
Morgan Wild, education officer, Cambridge University Students’ Union (CUSU)
Ruth Graham, women’s officer, CUSU
Taz Rasul, access and funding officer, CUSU
Hannah Paterson, welfare officer, University of Manchester Students’ Union
Oeiisha Williams, education officer, Birmingham City University Students’ Union
Lukas Slothuus, community and welfare officer, LSE Students’ Union
Dante Micheaux, NUS NEC
Beth Evans, NUS LGBT committee
York Stop the Cuts
Fiona Edwards, Student Broad Left
Ed Maltby, Workers Liberty Students
Alicia McCluskey, Unite
Elaine Jones, vice-chair, Wirral Trades Council
Rhiannon Lowton, mature students officer, Liverpool Hope University Students’ Union
Lani Baird, president, Aberdeen College
Josefine Bjorkqvist, education and employability officer, Aberdeen Students’ Union
Jon Narcross, education officer, Sheffield Students’ Union
Harry Horton, finance officer, Sheffield Students’ Union
Nabil Alizai, activities officer, Sheffield Students’ Union
Sarah Charlesworth, women’s officer, Sheffield Students’ Union