Attack of the state on its own people -
as British students perceive increase threefold fees
12.12.2010 08:03
On the eve of December 9, with a margin of 21 votes the bill, allowing three times to increase fees for higher education, was adopted by the British House of Commons. Henceforth, the chairman of the National Union of Students Aaron Porter, British universities will be among the most expensive in the world. On such a prospect young Brits responded by a series of large demonstrations. Performances continued through election day - on the streets of London turned out 20,000 people. Protests turned right at the walls of Parliament.
"No ifs, no buts, no need to have shear!" - Chanted the students. The reasons for them to go to protest, the protesters clearly formulated: "If universities are to be privatized, many students can not afford to get education. Everyone should have the right to education. And I came here today to assert this right.
Raising tuition fees due to reduced government funding of universities by 40% as part of budget savings. In other words, the state passed on to students' own obligations under the budgetary provisions of universities. For students of all references to budget cuts as an emergency measure of the government, obviously, are not convincing. They are at it give the simplest and most logical answer: "Make the rich pay" - among the slogans, which painted the walls and pedestals of monuments, was this one.
Particular outrage at the behavior of the demonstrators is the leader of the Liberal Democrats Nick Clegg and a number of his comrades, marching to the polls with a promise to prevent the increase of tuition fees, and now, as part of a coalition government, have betrayed their constituents and supporters became the cause of the mass protests bill. Besides, what liberal Democrats in the elections voted for many young voters. No wonder that after the elections the Liberal Democrats lost the support of one-half to 2 / 3 of those who vote for them. "Nick Clegg became the hated figure for the protesting students" - recognizes the Guardian newspaper.
Reality, however, liberal Democrats were split: 21 of their deputies opposed the bill. Two deputies from the Liberal Democratic Party in protest resigned assistant ministers.
The protesters tried to break through police barricades, threw stones at police and billiard balls in motion also were firecrackers and flagpole. Against demonstrators, the authorities mobilized hundreds of police and mounted police. Was again used tactics of "pot" when protesters blocked the police inside the ring. His anger protesters tried to vent the windows of the Ministry of Finance, the Supreme Court, as well as showcases of Oxford Street. Donated and monuments, including Churchill. At Parliament Square, a fire erupted from the street benches, and in Trafalgar Square set fire to a festive Christmas tree. Ibid 150 students have declared a sit-down strike.
The scope of student presentations and the degree of how angry youth on themselves had to endure even the Crown Prince Charles, sent with his wife at the center of London, where simmering protests at the annual "Royal Variety" in the run-up to Christmas. Their limousine, attacked the participants presentations from the event went stained with white paint and cracked glass. In general, the collisions suffered 43 demonstrators and 12 police officers. 22 people were detained.
In this case, the protesters warned the authorities: "Let them cut down on your nose - we do not just give up. They will not escape one day. Like, today, students rose in anger through its strike, and tomorrow everyone will forget and forgive. We will not deviate. For us, the new law - this is not some isolated case of arbitrariness, the attack of the state on its own people. "
"Soviet Russia" [11/12/2010]
