More than 400 students at the Russian State University of Trade and Economics are striking inside the university over the Education and Science Ministry's decision to label the school ineffective as part of ongoing education reform.
The students have demanded adjustments to the ministry's monitoring results, which deemed the university ineffective and subject to reorganization, the BBC's Russian service reported.
The protest got the attention of the Education and Science Ministry, and the students were reportedly promised a meeting with representatives.
It also caught the attention of Left Front leader Sergei Udaltsov, Just Russia lawmaker Dmitry Gudkov and journalist Mikhail Leontyev, all of whom visited the university to show their support.
The university's administrators said they will allow the students to protest as long as order is maintained, Lenta.ru reported. The students, for their part, have promised not to interfere with academic activity but have vowed to continue their protest for as long as it takes.
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