Please note that this isn't one of my fictional short stories, this is true story.
I wanted to visit Occupy Sussex to see what an occupation is about. There was a meeting today so my mum said we could go. But when we went to Bramber House, there were 4 security guards sitting around and when they saw me and my mum, they told my mum I can’t go inside. My mum told them I have been visiting the University of Sussex since I was 5 and I go everywhere with her, but they didn’t care.
One of the guards was really horrible and rude and his name is Tony. He is very ugly. A nice girl came out of the occupation and said she will sit with me in the lounge if my mum wants to go to the meeting. Tony said I couldn’t stay in the lounge, I would have to go downstairs. It was really cold and I didn’t want to go downstairs, I wanted to go to the meeting with mum.
Michael from the occupation came and talked to Tony, but he still said I can’t stay in the lounge. Mum was very, very angry at Tony and I thought she was going to punch him. She doesn’t like being told what to do. Tony kept saying the occupation is dangerous and when mum told him it’s only dangerous when security are inside, he didn’t like it. I was quite scared of Stupid Tony.
Some nice people from the occupation came outside and argued with Tony and then my mum sneaked me inside. We later heard that the security guards were really annoyed. That was funny! It was nice in the occupation, I wasn’t scared in there and I got some sweets.
A great true story! Thank you, and keep up the writing, your very talented.
ReplyDeleteThanks for coming and for writing about it!
ReplyDeleteIt was really good, I enjoyed it.
DeleteI had the same problem when I tried to attend Will Self's talk with my boy, who is three.
ReplyDeleteThe security turned us away, saying "it [was] too busy for a three year old." As the room did indeed look crowded, I gave way, thinking that perhaps they were right.
Was the meeting you wished to attend very busy? There certainly would be no other good reason to exclude children from visiting the occupation.
The meeting was not busy and it was very interesting. I enjoyed it.
DeleteCheesy occupation full of clammy sweaty students, why would anyone wanna take a kid? Fix up
ReplyDeleteAnonymous, why on earth would you write that comment on a child's story? Are you seriously trolling a child ? Sussex campus is a community and always has been. Children live there and visit bits of it all the time. The nursery was one of the first hit by the policy.
DeleteThank you for the story !
Thank you very much for standing up for me and I hoped you liked the story :-)
DeleteThe occupation is not cheesy and full of sweaty students! They all seemed to be very nice! I am a kid and I found it very interesting!
DeleteWell done on standing up for yourself - first of all to the ridiculous bullying by security at the occupation, and the ill-informed attempt at trolling. Your mum should be v proud of you & I'll ask my kids if they want to go along and visit the occupation as well, but will probably keep my cats at home.
ReplyDeletekeep on sticking up for what you believe in!
Thanks, yes I think it would be best to keep your cats at home. :-)
DeleteI think we should take our cats to the next protest...
DeleteWould it be: Humans don't give cats enough food?
DeleteI agree with everything Chris C.had just said.
ReplyDelete(for some reason I am listed as anonymous! I am not! I am Arthur and I blog on wordpress as plexity)
Who appointed security guards as child care officials? Mum knows best (and dad, andother carers, etc, etc).
It is not illegal to leave your child to be baby sat by anybody that your mum chooses and it is nobody elses' business if she does.
Thank you for standing up for me, Arthur.
DeleteOn Sunday 17th February I came to the university with my 7 year old daughter . My friend had also brought his children too. Having visited the occupation on the Friday before and knowing many students up there we decided to show the kids the occupation. The atmosphere the Friday before was genial and the room was safe for kids. I did not imagine that as we went up the stairs of Bramber House we would be met by five (in fact maybe six) security guards who told us in an aggressive manner that children were not allowed up there. They then blocked the stairs to prevent the children going up. My daughter started crying because as she later told me, 'the men were very scary'. The inability of these security guards to understand that they were not dealing with a riot and just with a few kids and a couple of parents was bizarre. One security guard said to another that he thought that social services should become involved - ie that any parent wanting to take their children to the third floor of Bramber House was a danger to their own children, yet the security was unaware that it was their inability to act appropriately with children that was the greatest danger.
ReplyDeleteThe security informed us that the university had decided that children were not allowed up there - I questioned whether this was true or whether they had in fact made it up because there was no clear policy - they insisted that the university had a policy because "it might kick off up there at any time".
I seriously doubt the honesty of the guards and moreover I have no doubt whatsoever that they do not have the ability to provide security and instead only offer brute physical presence. Over-reacting and scaring children is not the mark of a security professional but it is the mark of someone better suited to work with aggressive drunks at a nightclub (although preferably without management responsibility).
Thus the university through the hiring of these, anonymised, guards has replaced the security that understands that the university is a community with a somewhat paranoiac group of 'big guys' seeking to extend a lucrative contract. This group of guards, after over two weeks operating here, still does not understand the type of people that they are dealing with. Such a misaligned attitude must be symptomatic of the instructions that they are getting from their management and/or basic incompetence.
Someone called Robert who is part of the University Security (and therefore i presume one of the 235) heard what had happened from the private security guards and came over to us having tea to apologise and explain the situation honestly and professionally and with appropriate sensitivity to the presence of children. There was a vast distinction between the different approaches of the current security and the hired guards. On the one hand Robert told me as he introduced himself his name and his position, he then went on to explain his understanding of what had happened, he asked for my opinion, he discussed the options and he deescalated the situation. Furthermore he asked if the kids were ok (as a parent that means a lot to me). On the other hand there are some big guys in big jackets who did not tell me their names or who they worked for but simply treated me and the children as a dangerous threat and were considering calling social services.
What was the message that the kids took home? My daughter thinks that security guards are very scary and my friend's son thinks that they are grumpy idiots.
In contrast when we went to the library the staff took the time to talk to the kids about books and answered all of their many questions about the library and different authors.
In light of this absurd situation, why in the name of sanity would the university want to replace Robert's careful professionalism with the type of unaccountable, defensive (and dishonest) security better suited to nightclubs and ganglands?
My mum was pretty sure that the rules about,"kids are not aloud in the occupation", is made up and I believe her. Your daughter is right, they are very scary and your friend's son is right too, they are grumpy idiots.
DeleteSamia that is a fantastic story. When I was a kid I was taken to a lot of occupations. I'm glad you got inside in the end. And I like your panda picture.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Millie. I go to lots of protests and pickets too! Are you the Millie that my mum knows?
DeleteExcellent post.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing the nice story. I like it very much.
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Thanks a lot.
Thank you. I am glad you liked it. :-)
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