Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Students turn up fees pressure on Lib Dems with protest at London Lib Dem conference on 4th December

Press release
Tuesday 30th November 2010


Students will turn up the pressure even further on the Liberal Democrats this weekend with a protest outside the party’s London Conference.

The protest, organised by the Free Education Campaign, comes on the back of today’s second national day of protest and the wave of occupations taking place across the country against higher fees.

The peaceful protest outside the Lib Dem's London Conference is part of the national campaigning that is focussing on the Liberal Democrats MPs to not break their pre-election promise to vote down higher fees.

The pressure on the Liberal Democrats is already causing deep divisions with more than 100 of the Party’s parliamentary candidates petitioning Nick Clegg to oppose government plans to raise tuition fees in England to avoid pushing the party “back in the political wilderness.”


Fiona Edwards, spokesperson for the Free Education Campaign, said:


"Student anger is especially directed at the Liberal Democrats given their pre-election promise to vote against any fee hike.

This protest will send a loud message to the Lib Dem that students expect them to honour the pledge they made to students in May.

Without Lib Dem support, these higher fees cannot get through Parliament.

If the Lib Dems break their promise, then students will be clear for years to come which party is to blame for higher fees and a lifetime of debt."



Notes to Editor


1. Protest outside London Lib Dem Conference – Saturday 4th December

Assemble 12noon Haverstock School, Haverstock Hill, London NW3 2BQ

Nearest tube Chalk Farm MAP: http://bit.ly/ejufKa

2. The London Lib Dem MPs are:
• Vince Cable
• Simon Hughes
• Sarah Teather
• Paul Burstow
• Tom Brake
• Edward Davey
• Lynne Featherstone

3. A facebook event has been set up to mobilise students and young people to the protest: http://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/event.php?eid=148974651817209

4. For all press enquiries contact Free Education Campaign
Email: freeeducationcampaign@gmail.com

Twitter: @free_edcampaign

Stop the Fees Rise – protest at London Lib Dem Conference – 4th December

As the campaign to defeat higher fees reaches its final stages now is the time to really turn the pressure on MPs.

Lib Dems in particular need to feel the pressure – especially given their plans to break their pre-election promise to vote against any fee hike.

Protest outside London Lib Dem Conference – Saturday 4th December
Assemble 12noon

Haverstock School, Haverstock Hill, London NW3 2BQ
Nearest tube Chalk Farm
MAP: http://bit.ly/ejufKa

We are calling this peaceful protest outside the Lib Dem London Conference to demand that all London Lib Dem MPs vote against higher fees.

The London Lib Dem MPs are:
• Vince Cable
• Simon Hughes
• Sarah Teather
• Paul Burstow
• Tom Brake
• Edward Davey
• Lynne Featherstone

We hope this protest will encourage the MPs listed above to honour the pledge they made to students in May.

The rebellion within the Lib Dems has already begun with more than 100 of the Party’s parliamentary candidates petitioning Nick Clegg to oppose government plans to raise tuition fees in England to avoid pushing the party “back in the political wilderness.”

The vote on fees will be taking place within the next three weeks – this is a key opportunity to put pressure on the Lib Dems – please invite all your friends to the facebook event: http://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/event.php?eid=148974651817209

For more information or to help publicise the protest email: freeeducationcampaign@gmail.com

Monday, November 29, 2010

Will NUS call another national demonstration?

Yesterday the NUS President, Aaron Porter, made the welcome move to publicly support the student wave of occupations and tomorrow’s national day of action against the ConDem plans to attack students with higher fees and education cuts. He made this announcement when he visited the UCL occupation: http://ucloccupation.wordpress.com/

On his Presidential blog this morning Porter went further and announced, “the NUS will be organising a national day of action and a lobby of Parliament” in the run up to the vote in Parliament. Again, this is a welcome move and good way to build on the fantastic success of the NUS/UCU national demonstration on 10th November – which was the biggest student mobilisation for decades.

What NUS also needs to do – alongside this - is call another national demonstration, preferably on the weekend ahead of vote (taking place before Christmas).

Another national demonstration is the best way to maximise the impact of this growing movement against higher fees and savage education cuts. And a demo on a weekend will mean that students and lecturers can be joined by parents, past students, the broader trade union and progressive movement and all those who wish to see the next generation have the opportunity to access a university education.

Given the anger that exists across all sections of society to £9,000 fees - a national demo has the potential to mobilise hundreds of thousands of people. Such an initiative would place enormous pressure on MPs – particularly those Lib Dems who signed a pledge before the General Election to vote against any increase in fees. For these reasons another national demo is clearly the way forward for the movement.

The only question that remains: will NUS call another national demonstration?

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Students turn up the heat on the ConDems: Thousands protest, walkout and occupy against fees and cuts!

More than 100,000 school, college and university students took to the streets yesterday to protest against the ConDem plans to increase tuition fees, savagely cut teaching budgets and scrap EMAs.

The day was truly inspiring and real escalation in the fight back to defend education for generations to come.

Thousands of students walked out of their schools in protest – for them the fee hike represents not just an outrageous policy but also a looming reality, which if introduced, will directly threaten their opportunities to go to university.

200 sixth-formers from Camden School for girls wrote to their teachers explaining the reasons why they walked out of their lessons to join the protests. Their message clearly articulates what is at stake.

They said: “As proud products of state education, we know how important it is that education remains equally accessible to all, and does not descend into a free market where one’s chances of getting into a good university are based not on ability, but on ability to pay.”

They added, “Some of us are unlikely to apply at all if the government go ahead with raising the cap to £9,000… We hope you understand our belief that if we do not act now, and act decisively, our futures, and those of all future Camdeners, could be under threat.”

Yesterday in towns and cities across Britain masses of young people acted decisively to defend the future of education. Thousands marched from London, to Manchester, to Leeds to Sheffield and beyond.

A wave of university occupations – starting with SOAS on Monday and now joined by Brighton, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Leeds, London South Bank, Manchester, Newcastle, Oxford, Plymouth, Roehampton, Royal Holloway, Sheffield, UCL, UEL, UWE – has also swept the country.

In Nick Clegg’s seat over 3,000 students marched into the city centre causing the police to close main roads. Following the march, around 100 students occupied lecture theatres at the University of Sheffield. The occupation voted to demand free education and an end to cuts in higher education funding. It also stated its general opposition to economically illiterate Tory led cuts to public services.

Over 150 students are currently occupying the University College London – with hundreds of people already signing their petition online.

Students at Birmingham University occupied the Aston Webb building and have called upon the University Vice-Chancellor who shamefully supports higher fees to resign.

This is just a snap shot of what was an absolutely inspiring day.

Best of luck to all the students in occupation!

We need to build on this momentum.

The next day of action next Tuesday (30th November) is the next key opportunity to demonstrate our anger against higher fees and education cuts.

Students need another national demo against higher fees – the NUS Black Students’ Campaign will organise it

Ahead of the student day of action on Wednesday 24th November against the government’s deep education cuts and plans to dramatically increase tuition fees, NUS Black Students’ Officer Kanja Sesay announced that the Black Students’ Campaign will organise a national protest alongside other student groups, outside Parliament ahead of the vote in the Commons if the NUS does not do so.

Kanja Sesay, NUS Black Students’ Officer said:


“On the 10th November tens of thousands of students marched outside Parliament in opposition to the government’s plans to treble tuition fees and implement savage education cuts. It proved that young people are willing to fight against this vicious assault on our future. We must unite and build on this momentum.

“The NUS should be central to organising another national demonstration on the weekend before the vote in Parliament. Mobilising tens of thousands of students, lecturers, parents and the wider public is the most effective way of putting maximum pressure on MPs – especially those Lib Dems who said they’d oppose fees – to vote against the government’s plan to kick away the ladder of opportunity for generations to come.”

Kanja added:

“If the NUS refuses to take the initiative, the Black Students’ Campaign will take the lead and join with other student groups to organise a national, peaceful protest outside Parliament.”

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

UNITE TO FIGHT FEES: THE CASE FOR ANOTHER NATIONAL DEMONSTRATION

Fiona Edwards from the Free Education Campaign makes the case for another national demo

With a vote in parliament likely to take place before Christmas we seriously need to turn the heat up on the ConDem government to defeat higher fees of £9,000.

The last demonstration on 10th November was an outstanding success and a turning point in the campaigns against the government’s enormous cuts agenda. With at least 52,000 angry protesters taking to the streets, the demo was by far the largest student mobilisation for decades - and much bigger than any of the demonstrations against the introduction of top-up fees in 2004. More than anything else it proved that tens of thousands of young people are prepared to fight the coalition government's reactionary agenda of austerity.

Building on this success is absolutely vital. Another national demonstration against the government's proposals, preferably on the weekend before the parliamentary vote must be absolutely central to our campaigning strategy moving forward.

In addition to another massive demonstration, we need to keep up constant campaigning over the coming weeks. Petitions, occupations, sit-ins, other non-violent direct action, lobbying and other creative methods are necessary to create the momentum we need to defeat the government's illegitimate and reactionary proposals to increase fees. It is excellent that students across the country will be taking such action on Wednesday 24th November. The activists at Goldsmiths, Sussex, SOAS and Manchester that have already peacefully occupied their campuses in opposition to the ConDem government are an inspiration to us all.

However, we must learn the lessons of the last demonstration. Acts of violence and vandalism undermine our movement, playing into the hands of the right wing who seek to weaken all demonstrations and resistance to the cuts. These acts risk having the impact of reducing the size of our future demonstrations as people mobilise in smaller numbers than they otherwise would have in order to avoid getting into a confrontation with the police.

Also young, inexperienced activists are now at risk of receiving heavy penalties – potentially long prison sentences – as the vicious media witch-hunt against those involved continues.

Of course, following the protests there has been an absurd media storm about the vandalism at Tory HQ. Much more attention has been give to shattered windows than the damage the Tories’ policies will inflict upon young people. This is clearly not really about broken windows or the foolish acts of inexperienced individuals – but about putting the maximum pressure on NUS and others not to call further actions. We must not cede to this agenda which seeks to discredit and demonise student protest against fees and distract attention away from the central issue: the government's disastrous policies.

We have the potential to build a mass movement that includes hundreds of thousands - potentially millions - of people against higher fees and savage cuts. All of our efforts must be channeled into making this possibility a reality.

Another national demonstration ahead of the vote is the most effective way to maximise the anger and opposition of an entire generation. A demo at the weekend will mean that students and lecturers can be joined by tens of thousands of parents, past students and all those who wish to see the next generation have the opportunity to fulfill their potential by accessing a university education.

Join the campaign to call upon the NUS NEC to organise second national demonstration by passing Student Broad Left’s model motion in your Students' Union. The model motion can be found here: http://studentbroadleft.org.uk/2010/11/fight-fees-we-need-another-national-demo/