Published: November 23rd 2010 - at 9:30 am

Students occupy three universities in protests


by Newswire    

Students protesting against raising tuition fees are staging occupations in London, Bristol and Manchester.

Occupations at the School of Oriental and African Studies, UWE Bristol and Manchester Metropolitan University are ahead of this week’s national protests.

The protests and walk outs, set for Wednesday, have been backed by a statement signed by the president of the National Union of Teachers.

The statement says young people will be the “victims” of education cuts.

The organisers of this week’s protests say that an “unprecedented wave of student revolt is unfolding” – and they invoke the spirit of student protests of 1968.

…more at BBC News


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Reader comments


*Occupation* of university buildings is an entirely different form of protest than *invasion* of other buildings: this is defensive, not offensive, and puts any police response in the aggressive role.

We can all wish them success.

I love these “occupations”.

As soon as the pizza deliveries are blocked you can hear the wailing from miles away.

It makes national news tho cj which is the aim after all to highlight the issue to the masses.

Would you just rather they assume the position and say ” yes primeminister deeper harder faster”?

I would rather they took a closer look at the details of what is essentially a quite progressive graduate tax.

Alas as the Dead Ringers Alan Bennett spoof always says: “but they won’t, will they?”

The organisers of this week’s protests say that an “unprecedented wave of student revolt is unfolding” – and they invoke the spirit of student protests of 1968.

I wonder who the organisers are.
The student fees thing has already been shown to be a non-issue, as someone on 25 grand will only have to pay back an extra £360 a year. Be earning that and you’re not doing too bad. Try working for £6.40 an hour like the wages being offered for van drivers around where I live.

The cuts are something else. Would they be fixed by these higer student fees?
I don’t know, but I’m guessing it would fix it. It’s ”not fair” – but (from the job ad) either is this – for £6.40 an hour:

Applicants MUST have the following experience
1. Two years recent multidrop delivery experience either business to business or home deliveries
2. Applicants must be over 21 for insurance purposes
3. Flexible with regards to working hours
4. Have the ability to do between 50-70 deliveries per day
5. Excellent geographical knowledge
6. No more than 3 penalty points
7. Applicants must have 2-5 years expereince driving transit vans (this is essential)

That’s the harsh reality of the free market real world in recession.
50-70 deliveries per day is driving a person to work flat out all day.

So the fact that little Nicky et al lied to all those students to gain their vote should just be swept under the carpet.

In line with spoof quotes ” they dont like it up em do they”

I do wonder how I would tell the difference between a university occupied by students and a university just full of students…

That said, and assuming that these students are not actually interupting the learning of others (presuming to speak for all students on an issue does not give anyone the right to interupt the education of other students), good luck to them.

And if the spirit of 1968 is indeed in the air, then we might want to remember how much difference that made.

[deleted]

9. Chaise Guevara

Trolling takes a surrealist turn above!

10. Chaise Guevara

@ 2

“As soon as the pizza deliveries are blocked you can hear the wailing from miles away.”

Yes, cjcjc, because politics can be reduced to lazy stereotyping. Let’s allow our bigoted superiority complexes to be the issue.

Sheesh.

Good luck to them.

The Tories (and Lib Dems) think students should be weighed down with so much debt that they’ll still be paying it off then their kids go to university. This is quite obviously preposterous and wrong.

Was the SOAS ever unoccupied?

It’s interesting to look at the potential debt we’re told studenst will have after a 3-year degree, about £40k, and the termly fees at Eton, about £30k IIRC.

No wonder the government don’t see it as an issue.


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  10. Foggy Britain… Not really helping the mood, is it? « Gabrielle Sapphira

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