Translated by Italy Calling.

Fourth year of the crisis: the Autumn of The Struggles is building up. First the huge international day of struggle on October 15 called by the Spanish indignados; then November 11, promoted by the American Occupy movement: a second, fundamental stage of the mobilisations against the elites of global finance. “Eat the rich”, “We are the 99%”, “Occupy everywhere” are some of the slogans that have echoed throughout the world.

In Italy, 20 years of Berlusconi are finally coming to an end; but we are fully aware that any new government – be it technical, of national unity or the result of new elections – won’t do anything else but imposing new measures, shedding more tears and blood. The European Central Bank has issued its diktat of uncontrolled liberalism, carrying on in its social butchery in order to guarantee huge  profits for that 1% of profiteers who are using the crisis to increase their profits.

Since the Wave movement in 2008 students and precarious workers have been at the forefront of social and political opposition to austerity policies: unrepresented and incompatible forces fighting to take the present and the future back. Our presents and futures ever more denied, darkened by the spreading precariousness and the death of the welfare state. Once again mobilisations are starting in universities: we are aware that the way out of this structural crisis can only be reached by putting ourselves on the line, and building new knowledge and movement.

The international imagery of the Occupy movement is being recycled by many universities. Taking back the universities right now means taking back decisions on our lives, building spaces of autonomy and direct democracy, contributing to the vision and creation of a new world. As students, we are now officially and totally precarious; we live the blackmail of debt starting from our university courses that make our lives ever more impervious to our own control; we suffer the exploitation of unpaid work through “work placements” and “internships”. Starting with opposition to these conditions, we want to build a new, huge “us”; an “us” of indignation, diversity and richness; the “us” composed by the 99%.

Yesterday a splendid whole day of struggle concluded with the “Occupy UniBo” parade occupying the Faculty of Humanities. From here we send our greetings to similar experiences that are taking place in other universities. From here we will build the international day of student mobilisations of November 17.

Original article in Italian here. The communiqué was originally released on November 11 by the public assembly held in the Faculty straight after the occupation.