Imperial students attend fees and cuts demo
They joined 10,000 others protesting against cuts to maintenance grants
Wednesday saw 10,000 students, including several from Imperial, march for free education. The protest was organised by the National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts. Kieran Ryan (pictured) organised the Imperial bloc, which included the union’s elected Deputy President of Welfare and campaigns officer.
The demo was generally a peaceful affair. Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell made a speech to protesters, saying the government had “betrayed” them by upping fees and scrapping grants, and that higher education was “a gift from one generation to another”.
Trouble arose outside the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, when twelve were arrested having been caught throwing eggs and letting off smoke bombs outside the building. The department is in charge of higher education.
Although the Metropolitan Police denied using the controversial ‘kettling’ technique to control the crowds, some videos have surfaced on social media of students surrounded by police officers on every side, being ‘escorted’ to Charing Cross Station.
With a union Sabbatical officer in their ranks, the Imperial bloc marched from Malet Street, near UCL, to Parliament, via Trafalgar Square, Downing Street and the Home Office.
Rounds of ‘NO IFS, NO BUTS, NO EDUCATION CUTS’ and ‘WHAT DO WE WANT? FREE EDUCATION! WHEN DO WE WANT IT? NOW!’
At one point there was whisper that our very own union president would make an appearance, however she didn’t manage to make it.
When fees faced their last round of increases in 2010, the union president at the time, Andrew Kendall, did not attend student protests either, and spoke out against the demonstrations in FELIX.
Although only around 15 Imperial students attended the demo, after the medic protests of the past few weeks, it’s turning into quite a term for Imperial dissidence.
