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Story: Public protest

Student occupation

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Student occupation

University of Otago students (often dubbed ‘scarfies’) occupy a room in which the University Council is meeting in August 1996. The students were protesting against a proposal to increase tuition fees that was being discussed at the meeting, which had to be abandoned due to the disruption. Their action failed to prevent the increase.

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Socialist Worker NZ Archive

by Grant Brookes

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How to cite this page

Ben Schrader, Public protest – Sit-ins and occupations, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/35092/student-occupation (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Ben Schrader, published 7 May 2012.