Students occupy university over mining disaster

"This faculty is occupied," read a huge banner hanging from the mining department of an Istanbul university, where Turkish students have been holding all-night vigils over a devastating mine disaster that claimed more than 300 lives, reports Channel News Asia.

What started as a small protest against the prestigious Istanbul Technical University's links with the company that operates the mine in the western town of Soma evolved into a fully-fledged occupation after around 1,000 students chained the doors shut. Rubbing sleepy eyes, 21-year-old student Orkun, who only gave one name out of fear of repercussions, said: "We will hold out until we get results."

The occupation has already borne some fruit, with the university announcing that it would cut ties with the Soma Kömür mining company, which used to have employees on the faculty's advisory board. But that is not enough for the students.

"The faculty is complicit in the deaths of the miners. The mining company delivered a seminar here two weeks before the disaster. We will not leave this building until those responsible are brought to account," Orkun told AFP.
Full report on the Channel News Asia site