Unease amongst student population grows.

ESSENCE. Throughout the universities of New Eden, a number of student protests have turned violent leading to arrests as tensions rise between students and the administrative bodies regarding a recent resurgence in the desire to leave the control of the four empires, and see the fostering of new inter-empire relationships.

In many universities, capsuleer and planet bound students are feeling pressured by the overbearing presence of the university administration boards allowing the politics of New Eden to restrict academic development between all the empires. During a meeting concerning these issues in the Aporulie system, one Gallente student explained that instead of the divisions that currently divide the empires they "intend to work as a group to conduct groundbreaking research and other studies that cannot currently exist in this politically charged atmosphere."

The concern of the university ruling bodies is twofold, the empires in general are usually quite unwilling to share information across the ideological divisions that currently exist in New Eden, and this may also be motivated by military concerns despite the uneasy peace between them. Secondly, co-operation with universities in other empires may result in budget cuts or sanctions against them. Both factors are driving university administrators to oppose co-operation at this time.

As tensions rise between students and university officials, a multitude of students from various universities have begun to actively protest against the university administrators with demands that their voices be heard. In various public speeches, students from the University of Caille have suggested the formation of a focused study group in a neutral territory that is open to students from all across New Eden. Shortly after this announcement the protest began to turn violent, and Gallente security forces moved in to calm the situation, with a number of students arrested.

In the wake of this protest, numerous others are planned at universities across New Eden.