I turned on the news this week to find the French out in force again. Taking to the streets rioting, destroying buildings, injuring each other. They’re absolute maniacs, you can say what you like about them but at least they have some fight left in them!
But then on closer inspection, after reading BBC News’ ticker, I found that these weren’t images of the French at all, they were Brits! Actual Brits doing something about the gigantic cuts. These Brits were, of course, students. It was only a matter of time before someone got up and did something, rather than taking the beating lying down like everyone else seems to. In the 80s it was the miners, last Wednesday it was the students.
In a nutshell around 50,000 students and lecturers marched through Westminster peacefully until a small group burst forwards holding aloft an effigy which was obviously burned to a cinder much to the applause of the crowd. After that happened it all got a bit ugly. You know once you see someone in a balaclava that it isn’t going to end particularly well.
And it didn’t. Placards were burned resulting in masses of smoke covering the crowds, and the protestors somehow smashed their way into the Conservative Headquarters, where staff were evacuated. Some clowns even got on to the roof and decided to launch a fire-extinguisher from up high. It was ugly, well by British standards it was ugly.
The images were quite interesting to watch, mainly because there was such a diverse bunch of people involved. There were the extremists in their balaclavas and there were regular students responding to what they were witnessing, some with excitement, others with infinite fear. No one really knew how to respond. Those who did respond did so with violence, which pretty much ruined it for everyone.
Naturally people have condemned them for their actions, mostly the Daily Mail’s readership but others have too. The president of the NUS, Aaron Porter, came out and said none of these events were planned: “This action was by others who have come out and used this opportunity to hijack a peaceful protest.” It is true, you can’t just blame students for all of this, it was the work of a minority who may or may not have been students. Although some unions have come forward and refused to condemn their actions.
The newspapers were full of it, everyone was talking about it, radio phone ins became popular again. People seem split on the issue, some branding it a disgrace, others saying they were left with no choice. I personally think, though they were wrong to go as far as they did, it was okay for them to show some aggression. After all, we’ve had countless protests from students in the past. Try to name one. Difficult isn’t it? That’s because all that happens is a peaceful stroll through Westminster, followed by everyone going home, having tea and resuming their lives, changing absolutely nothing, solving absolutely nothing. It seems sometimes this violence is the only way to get noticed. If there was no aggression on Wednesday where would this story be? Page 36? It probably wouldn’t even have run on some news networks. Becoming aggressive forces the media to turn its ugly head and take notice.
And everyone noticed. Even mayor Boris was forced into action saying he was: “appalled that a small minority have today shamefully abused their right to protest” and that those involved would “face the full force of the law.” I’m sure they’re quaking in their boots Boris. This is a justice system that gives a paedophile 18 months behind bars for grooming and sexually assaulting a girl under the age of thirteen.
Nobody agrees with the fire-extinguisher incident. But who really cares if a bunch of students vandalised the Conservative HQ? It’s covered on insurance isn’t it? I do feel sorry for the 50,000 students who were there as most of them were peaceful in their protest but now, because of a small minority, they’re all labelled as scum. I have to say it was amusing seeing the police doing seemingly nothing about it, having to ask nicely for the students to get off the rooftop. They were so timid they make Mr Jingles look like freaking Danger Mouse!
Of course the police have been criticised for not having enough numbers, which I find ironic. All that does is subconsciously highlight the strain they’re going to feel soon enough when an estimated 40,000 to 60,000 jobs could disappear. Ouch.
If they allowed it to happen, who could blame them? They could be out of a job before Christmas, is it worth putting yourself in danger for that? Is it worth putting yourself in danger for anything? Take the military, they’re out there fighting for our country and dying for our country, and what do they get in return when they come home? A P45 of course! More ouch.
In the end, these events have brought forward the cause of the students in the country, exposing further the deep cuts that are being sliced through the education sector. It is probably the most dangerous budget to cut, because you are literally dicing with the future. Future doctors, teachers, nurses, scientists, police, civil servants, and all other professions are all being jeopardised by these cuts and rises in the university fees. The future needs funding or the UK will be in serious trouble in years to come.
In a decades time we could find ourselves in a country where skilled workers are a thing of the past and people will be being immigrated in to fit the requirements of jobs Britons are no longer able to satisfy. It’s easy to see why the students aren’t happy about it, they have every right to feel betrayed, especially by the Liberal Democrats who signed a pledge before the election promising they would not vote in favour of a rise in tuition fees. They’ve changed their tune.
The annoying thing for me is that most the people who sit in parliament making these decisions all received their education for free. So why should new students have to pay for it when they got it for diddly squat? I wonder if the MPs would be in favour of a new piece of legislation saying that all MPs who didn’t have to pay for their tuition will now have to fork out 10% of their wages between now and the end of time.
Somehow, I don’t think that legislation would be approved.
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