‘F**k Hugh Brady’ graffiti appears on campus ahead of Bristol Uni open day for new students

Graffiti aimed at Bristol Uni Vice-Chancellor, Professor Hugh Brady, has appeared on the same day as offer holders for next year arrive for their on-campus open day.

The prospective students were greeted with numerous messages. Alongside the statement “F**k Hugh Brady” brandished on the Arts and Social Sciences Library, “pay your staff” was graffitied in two different places on Senate House.

The university said it is “disappointed members of our community have chosen to express their views this way” and confirmed the graffiti has now been removed.

Professor Hugh Brady is set to leave his £300,000-a-year job at the end of the year after six years in charge.

The graffiti appeared early on Monday morning on the side of the ASS on St Michael’s Hill Credit: @RentStrikeBris

Today marks the last day of three weeks of strike action by Bristol UCU. Members are striking over The Four Fights: a fall in real-wage pay, casualisation, increased workload and ongoing inequality within the sector.

UCU members are currently taking part in the final day of strike action over cuts to pay and pension Credit: @RentStrikeBris

The UCU say that staff pay has fallen by 20 per cent on average in real terms since 2009. A third of academic staff are on “insecure” contracts and that the gender pay gap is at 15 per cent.

The union argues that cuts to the University Superannuation Scheme (USS), the principal pension scheme provided by UK universities, will see the average guaranteed pension of staff drop by 35 per cent.

Since Monday morning, 12 students have occupied the Wills Memorial Building in solidarity with the striking staff. Whilst those involved and supporting the occupation  have handed out leaflets to prospective students attending the open day, they have distanced themselves from the graffiti.

However, Rent Strike Bristol, the group that orchestrated one of the biggest rent strikes in the country last year, tweeted to offer “solidarity with the artist”.

University staff worked quickly to remove the message ahead of open day

This is the second time in the space of a month, Senate House has been graffitied after a second year Geography student spray-painted the word “Greenwashed” on the outside of the university study space.

The student said they did this as “an act of defiance against the university’s complacency when it comes to the climate emergency”.

Whilst university staff have now ended their teaching strike, this issue is not going away any time soon.

The occupiers of the Wills Memorial Building have reiterated they will continue to occupy the building until university management “stop punishing staff”.

A University of Bristol spokesperson said: “We are very disappointed that members of our community have chosen to express their views in this way. The graffiti has been removed.”

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