Students gathered outside the SU to protest. Photo: Liam O'Dell

The University of Lincoln Students’ Union have called an All Student Members (ASM) meeting, after a petition was signed by over 70 people at a protest on Friday afternoon.

Students gathered outside the SU to protest. Photo: Liam O’Dell

Under SU bye-law 2.1.3.4, additional ASMs can take place if at least 50 members of the SU call for one. The organisers were able to meet the requirement during today’s demonstration.

Organised before the SU’s actions against the Conservative Society were revoked, the protest called for the SU to repeal the ban and the ‘freedom to oppose on campus’.

 

Hannah Barr organised the event and said: “This protest is about making sure we are not stood saying the same things, fighting the same fight next year.

“This protest is about renewing the definition of the clause that is repeatedly being used and abused by the leadership of the SU.”

The event also saw speeches from SU Officers Josh Grinsell (Disabled Officer) and Bradley Allsop (Postgraduate Officer).

The protest ended with Hannah – a first year Politics and International Relations student – presenting SU President Sammi Storey with a letter calling for an ASM to take place.

It called the decisions made by the SU ‘immoral’ and claimed the censorship ‘directly assaults’ free speech, democracy, scrutiny and accountability.

It said: “Such practices have meant that the SU leadership has brought the SU into disrepute. We, the student membership, are quickly losing confidence in our SU and request this additional ASM so that we can discuss this issue in a democratic manner to hold the SU to account.

“It is essential that this is done before the membership move from losing confidence, to having no confidence,” it said.

The ASM will take place on Monday 20 March from 6pm to 8pm in MB1009.