Thousands of students took the streets today for the third time to protest against plans to triple university tuition fees.
Traffic was brought to a standstill as the students marched through Whitehall, Westminster, Victoria, Hyde Park and the City before ending up in Trafalgar Square, where terrified workers saw a group of demonstrators attempting to smash their way into local Tesco Express and Waterstone's.
153 demonstrators were arrested in London, most of which, said Scotland Yard, were made in Trafalgar Square as they played a game of cat and mouse around the capital to avoid being 'kettled'.
Meanwhile, students who have occupied universities last week, have vowed to continue their protest despite being threatened with legal action.
Young demonstrators who marched up and down the UK were more peaceful, but they are planning to protest in London on the day MPs vote on the fees.
A massive protest is expected in the capital next week and it will be a last-ditch attempt to stop new Conservative plans turning UK in an elitist state.
Tuesday, 30 November 2010
Thursday, 25 November 2010
Students protest up and down the UK
The student demonstrations against increased university tuition fees became a national event yesterday as thousands of students across the country took to the streets to voice anger at the new government’s plans.
Nearly 3,000 from Universities, colleges and schools gathered at University place in Manchester, and almost the same number paraded through Brighton. Meanwhile 2,000 students came together in Bristol heading into the city centre. Smaller demonstrations took place in Edinburgh, where the Liberal Democrat headquarters were surrounded by about 250 students and in Cambridge, where more than 200 youngsters scaled the fence of the Senate House.
Seven people in total were arrested amid a heavy police presence.
Meanwhile in London there were few injuries and although there was vandalism, no repeat of the attacks on symbolically important buildings such as Conservative Central Office was reported.
Moreover, several universities in the capital have been occupied in the past few days, including the University of London’s School of Oriental and African studies in Bloomsbury and the University College London.
University chiefs have been granted an injunction to evict all the students from the buildings, but in some cases, groups voted for “non-violent resistance” against attempts to remove them.
UK has not seen this sort of behaviour and demonstration for some considerable time and further riots will take place next week.
Nearly 3,000 from Universities, colleges and schools gathered at University place in Manchester, and almost the same number paraded through Brighton. Meanwhile 2,000 students came together in Bristol heading into the city centre. Smaller demonstrations took place in Edinburgh, where the Liberal Democrat headquarters were surrounded by about 250 students and in Cambridge, where more than 200 youngsters scaled the fence of the Senate House.
Seven people in total were arrested amid a heavy police presence.
Meanwhile in London there were few injuries and although there was vandalism, no repeat of the attacks on symbolically important buildings such as Conservative Central Office was reported.
Moreover, several universities in the capital have been occupied in the past few days, including the University of London’s School of Oriental and African studies in Bloomsbury and the University College London.
University chiefs have been granted an injunction to evict all the students from the buildings, but in some cases, groups voted for “non-violent resistance” against attempts to remove them.
UK has not seen this sort of behaviour and demonstration for some considerable time and further riots will take place next week.
Wednesday, 24 November 2010
University fees protest continues
A second huge mass protest took place this morning as thousands of students occupied University buildings across the capital.
Hundreds of schoolchildren as young as 16 joined the protest walking out of lessons in the co-ordinated mass demonstration dubbed "Day X".
The youngsters are worried that they won't be able to afford to go to University, as new Conservative plans announced cuts to education and a tripling of tuition fees three weeks ago.
Liberal Democrat HQ and Downing Street were targeted by students today and despite a pre-planned major police presence outside key Government buildings in Whitehall, a police van was surrounded and vandalised. Protesters climbed on the roof, covered the vehicle with graffiti and smashed the windows.
So far more than 60 people have been arrested in connection with the occupation of Millbank and one student has been charged with violent disorder.
It is almost a revolutionary situation and this protest is only the second step of a wider campaign: anti-cuts and anti-fees groups are springing up at universities up and down the country.
Further demonstrations are planned in Brighton, Birmingham, Glasgow, Liverpool, Leeds and Manchester.
Hundreds of schoolchildren as young as 16 joined the protest walking out of lessons in the co-ordinated mass demonstration dubbed "Day X".
The youngsters are worried that they won't be able to afford to go to University, as new Conservative plans announced cuts to education and a tripling of tuition fees three weeks ago.
Liberal Democrat HQ and Downing Street were targeted by students today and despite a pre-planned major police presence outside key Government buildings in Whitehall, a police van was surrounded and vandalised. Protesters climbed on the roof, covered the vehicle with graffiti and smashed the windows.
So far more than 60 people have been arrested in connection with the occupation of Millbank and one student has been charged with violent disorder.
It is almost a revolutionary situation and this protest is only the second step of a wider campaign: anti-cuts and anti-fees groups are springing up at universities up and down the country.
Further demonstrations are planned in Brighton, Birmingham, Glasgow, Liverpool, Leeds and Manchester.
Thursday, 11 November 2010
University is a luxury
All Universities in UK will charge at least £6,000 a year from 2012, according to new Conservative plans announced last week.
The maximum rate at the moment is £3,290 a year and those institutions that are over-subscribed will charge £9,000 when the new rules come into force. They will push for the maximum charge allowed under the new proposals, as charging lower fees could compromise their prestige.
A huge mass protest against tuition fees took place yesterday and was led by more than 45,000 students, who descended on Westminster and stormed Conservative Party HQ starting fires and throwing concrete from the roof. All Conservative staff were evacuated from the building at 3pm under a strong police guard and at least eight people were hurt.
It was the biggest protest by students since 1998, when tuition fees were first introduced by Labour.
Today David Cameron vowed that he would not turn back on trebling tuition fees and condemned the students who tried to ransack Conservative headquarters yesterday, saying the full force of the law should be used to prosecute violent protesters.
On the other hand, it will be hard to prevent working-class kids from being priced out of education.
The maximum rate at the moment is £3,290 a year and those institutions that are over-subscribed will charge £9,000 when the new rules come into force. They will push for the maximum charge allowed under the new proposals, as charging lower fees could compromise their prestige.
A huge mass protest against tuition fees took place yesterday and was led by more than 45,000 students, who descended on Westminster and stormed Conservative Party HQ starting fires and throwing concrete from the roof. All Conservative staff were evacuated from the building at 3pm under a strong police guard and at least eight people were hurt.
It was the biggest protest by students since 1998, when tuition fees were first introduced by Labour.
Today David Cameron vowed that he would not turn back on trebling tuition fees and condemned the students who tried to ransack Conservative headquarters yesterday, saying the full force of the law should be used to prosecute violent protesters.
On the other hand, it will be hard to prevent working-class kids from being priced out of education.
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