50,000 students march against cuts and higher fees
Union President stays away from protest saying he doesn’t believe in its motive
50,000 students and lecturers from across the country marched on Parliament [more photos] on Wednesday in protest of government plans to cut funding to universities and increase tuition fees to anywhere up to £9,000.
The peaceful protest, which was marred by violence at Conservative Headquarters, was acknowledged by government ministers as “just the beginning” of a cuts backlash.
NUS President Aaron Porter said, “this government is abdicating its responsibility to fund the education and skills provision we desperately need just as every other country is investing in its future. We cannot and will not accept that miserable vision for our future”.
The government is planning to cut almost entirely the teaching grant for Arts and Humanities courses, while protecting Science, Technology, Engineering and Medical courses like those taught at Imperial.
I did not attend the NUS demonstration… because I do not agree with its motive Alex Kendall, Union President
Almost all London universities were represented at the march, with Imperial being a notable exception. Union President Alex Kendall told Felix, “I did not attend the NUS demonstration… because I do not agree with its motive.” He added that “Students need to take more responsibility for their choice in going to university and realise that if we are the benefit to society that we want to be, we should take an active approach to helping to bring the deficit down.”
There was violence at the Millbank Building, home to Conservative HQ, caused by a minority of protestors. Around 200 protestors smashed windows and started fires outside the building. The violence has been condemned by student leaders including Aaron Porter and Alex Kendall, as well as the Prime Minister David Cameron who said that there would be no turning back on tuition fees.
Many of the students were marching against the Lib Dem betrayal of their election promise to vote against any increase in tuition fees. The N.U.S. has promised to turf out any Lib Dem MP who breaks their pre-election pledge and Nick Clegg has since expressed his regret in signing the pledge.
The protest has turned up the heat on the Lib Dems and the coalition in general but it remains to be seen whether it will achieve its aim of preventing a tuition fee rise.
