Honduran Students Slam University's Silence on Police Violence

Honduran university students protesting for months against the privatization of public education have criticized authorities for violently repressing and criminalizing the movement, and have urged the government to respect the agreement that was struck to end the crisis.

OPINION:
Disaster Capitalism and Outrage in Post-Coup Honduras

“We condemn the repression exercised by state forces, with complicity and silence from university authorities, against the students of independent movements,” wrote the University Student Movement, known as MEU, in a statement Sunday, days after clashes erupted Thursday between protesters and riot police at the main campus of the National Autonomous University of Honduras, known as Unah, in the capital city Tegucigalpa.

Protesters had occupied campus buildings earlier the same day to reject the breakdown of agreements between the movement and university administration. Students won the deal in July after occupying classrooms and facilities for a month to protest changes to academic rules and fee hikes for basic educational services. They also demanded greater student representation in decision-making processes in the university.

On Thursday, students accused university authorities of failing to uphold their commitments, including an agreement struck in July to drop charges against all students that allegedly committed crimes during the protests. According to the movement, authorities failed to drop charges against five students accused of property damage and sedition.

Riot police met the latest wave of protests with an eviction of the occupation that injured at least a few students. At least 12 others were reportedly arrested, according to teleSUR correspondent Gerardo Torres reporting form the scene of the protests.

ANALYSIS:
Do Feminists Support Coups? Honduran Women on Hillary Clinton

“We condemn the actions of harassment against protesters, provocation, and misrepresentation of information by some media,” continued MEU’s statement, adding that students were exercising their “legitimate right to protest” and advocating for fellow students facing unjust charges when police cracked down on the movement.

In a statement, Unah claimed that all agreements made with students have been upheld, and the outstanding charges in question are still being processed.

MEU also said students have respected the agreements and urged all parties to commit to upholding the agreed-upon solution to the months-long deadlock between protesters and the university.

“We call on the university authorities and student community to fulfill the established agreements in order to be able to solve the current crisis in the National Autonomous University of Honduras,” the statement concluded.

The student movement, which has also sparked protests in other cities across the country, describes itself broadly as fighting to defend public education in the face of aggressive neoliberal policies and widespread privatization in the Central American country following the 2009 U.S.-backed coup.