Whatever you think of the protest, it’s great to see students getting arsey and uppity about politics again, with an unexpectedly huge crowd – estimated at over 50,000 – protesting about the cuts, as described by the BBC:
Higher education funding is being cut by 40% – with teaching grants being all but wiped out except for science and maths.
The government expects the costs of teaching other courses to be funded by tuition fees.
It proposes that tuition fees should rise from 2012.
The plan is for a lower cap at £6,000, with universities able to charge up to £9,000 – triple the current cap – in “exceptional circumstances”.
There’s currently live TV streaming on the dreadful Sky News channel, who never turn down an opportunity to inflame and exaggerate.
Earlier on they were condemning ‘Anarchist protesters’ for throwing concrete cunningly disguised as sheets of paper off the roof, and they’ve repeatedly run the footage of a solitary fire extinguisher being thrown from hours ago.
Curiously, the police statement seems to be going to some lengths to describe the trouble as coming from a “small minority” – a very different tactic to their usual blanket condemnation of protesters – although if G20 hadn’t have happened, we suspect that those students would be getting a right battering now.
ROOFTOP OCCUPIERS STATEMENT:
“We oppose all cuts and we stand in solidarity with public sector workers, and all poor, disabled, elderly and working people. We are occupying the roof in opposition to the marketisation of education pushed through by the coalition government, and the system they are pushing through of helping the rich and attacking the poor. We call for direct action to oppose these cuts. This is only the beginning of the resistance to the destruction of our education system and public services.”
Update: 5/1 at Ladbrokes that there’ll be a u-turn on fees now – bettingpro.
Discuss the protest on urban75 now! NUS national protest against the cuts:
Related posts:
Lambeth Town Hall occupied by anti-cuts protesters, 23rd Feb 2011
Parliament student protest, 9th Dec 2010 – photos
Brixton anti-cuts demo outside Lambeth Town Hall, Feb 7th, 2011
March 26th: March Against The Cuts, Kennington Park, 11am
Lambeth Council cuts budget vote – demo in Brixton, 6pm 23rd Feb
Against the Cuts! Protest outside Lambeth Town Hall, Brixton – photos
Stop the Cuts rally and Fireman’s strike, London – photos
March for the Alternative, London demo: 220 photos
Its always the same agent provocateurs that are undoubtedly there to undermine the valid voices of concern. Again this only annoys the public and erode sympathy, this is just one of many tactics employed by the individuals with everything to gain from such organised chaos. If only the stupid students would grab these agents all dressed in black garb with veils and make a citizens arrest, instead the sheep emulate these vile few. How convenient the agent provocateurs wait for team b the photo journalists to get into position before they kick the window in.
Guaranteed these agents wont be found as they always run away unmolested by the police for they have completed their objective, to watch the students follow the piper and fall again, with the media foaming at the mouth with sensationalism. How to prevent these events from reoccurring is by the legitimate protesters to identify these concealed agents and point at them saying “show your FACE you’re a DISGRACE” and “AGENT PROVOCATEUR” ! Soon they’ll flee like the veil insidious people they are. Another wasted march and time organising the event, the BBC propaganda repeating the mantra of chaos riots blah blah blah, baah baah.