No More Page 3 protests erupt nationally

Campaigners call for weekend protests across the country to "celebrate women" on the 43rd anniversary of Page 3

Students in Warwick protesting against Page 3 (No More Page 3 - Warwick university )

Tomorrow, students will take part in protests across the country to mark the 43rd anniversary of page 3, in an effort to bring it to a close.

The No More Page 3 Campaign, led by actress and writer Lucy-Anne Holmes, has called for a weekend of protests which “celebrate women”. Action will take place in more than ten locations across the country including Brighton, Lancaster and Westminster.

Twenty-five universities and university colleges have now banned The Sun from their campuses after Bradford University took the decision to stop selling the paper on Tuesday. No More Page 3 team member, Jo Cheetham, said that students are a key part of the campaign and praised them for their “creative, inspirational protests”.

Rachel Knott, Women’s Officer for the University of East Anglia Union (where sale of The Sun was banned last month), has organised a protest in Norwich City Centre on Saturday. She said: “43 years of a national institution that reduces women's worth to the size of their breasts is 43 years too long. Women across the country, particularly students, are standing up to say that we can do better.”

Students at Warwick University, where the paper is still sold, have formed their own No More Page 3 campaign group. Their anniversary day of action took place on Wednesday, outside the campus’s Costcutter. The branch has so far refused to stop selling The Sun, arguing that the views of the campaigners were not representative of the student body.

Their protest focused on raising awareness among staff and students and also promoting their own petition, which now has more than 700 signatures.

The group staged a photo campaign during which they photographed more than 150 people holding a ‘No More Page 3’ sign. Lily Huggins, a committee member for the campaign group, said: “We had many people approach us, including a large amount of male students … Some students were shocked to hear that Warwick University sells newspapers which contain it!”

She added: “We believe that page 3 is not consistent with the policies and ethos of a modern university like Warwick which aims to provide a safe space for women and a positive environment for women students to study and live.”

Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live on Sunday, The Sun’s Editor, David Dinsmore, reiterated that page 3 is here to stay. However, this has not deterred campaigners. Jo Cheetham says: “Dinsmore's latest statement does not come as a surprise but it does spur us on to convince him that his role as Editor renders him socially responsible.”

The No More Page 3 team will march to Westminster on Sunday, November 17.