UK students stage (nationwide) sit-ins over fees

[Turborama]

Source: AFP

London - British students occupied buildings at several universities on Thursday in protest against government plans to triple fees, a day after demonstrators attacked a police van and clashed with officers in London.

Oxford University, University College London, Cardiff University and other institutions across the country reported that hundreds of students had staged sit-ins overnight.

On Wednesday an estimated 10 000 people took part in the second mass protest in London this month, taking out their anger on a besieged police van and starting fires before they were contained for hours in the cold by officers.

Aaron Porter, president of the National Union of Students, told the BBC that the protests were "only the beginning" of widespread action against the coalition government's plans to hike university tuition fees. He blamed the violence, however, on "professional troublemakers".

Read more: http://www.news24.com/World/News/UK-students-stage-sit-ins-over-fees-20101125

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There are reports of more occupations regularly being added to Google News: http://www.google.com/search?num=100&hl=en&rls=com.microsoft:en-US&tbs=nws:1,sbd:1&q=students+occupy+universities+UK&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=

Students Vow More Tuition Fee Protests

Students based in London have said Wednesday's tuition fee protests were "a tremendous success" and another day of action would be held on November 30.

More to follow...

Video report and a lively discussion between Sky's viewers here, too: http://news.sky.com/skynews/Article/201009115828806

[dipsydoodle]

1. Aaron Porter.......

He's' suitably horrified , as he was last time , with the violence and criminal damage caused by those simply joining in for a laugh.

Within the continuous coverage on tv here yesterday what was signficant was the number of police photographers present quite aside from the press who share their still shots with them too. I'm sure that all those "kettled", some up until past midnight ,were also photographed sans their hoods and balaclavas for future reference.

The students are quite capable of achieving their aims by peaceful protest.

Not sure if this hooligan followed through with a full quote : Revolution : Victory or Death.

[Nihil]

2. He's right though ...

>> He blamed the violence, however, on "professional troublemakers".
>
> He's' suitably horrified , as he was last time , with the violence and
> criminal damage caused by those simply joining in for a laugh.

Not sure if you were being cynical there or in agreement with him
but he is right: the violence & criminal damage is being led by groups
of outsiders - non-students - who try to encourage the peaceful protests
to be anything but.

The only things that these non-student thugs are achieving are
1) blackening the name of the student protesters
2) justifying the heavy handed police activity
3) distracting the public from the hypocritical political decisions behind it all

:grr:

[dipsydoodle]

4. I wasn't being cynical.

As this goes rapidly downhill with the involvement of outsiders committing acts of criminal damage and general vandalism the public will likely turn against their cause. If you watched the tv coverage you may have noticed that the police were quite restrained against the provation they were receiving.

I think the next batch is due next Tuesday and its due to be freezing right across the UK by then. I have a feeling the peaceful protestors will distance themselves from the others to avoid geting trapped up with them until midnight again - maybe in snow.

[Turborama]

3. That solitary police van they parked in the middle of the crowd & left there seemed a bit suspect

Why would they do that? I saw the press conference and as soon as one of the NUS reps started talking about it Sky News came away from it and went on to another story. And all those professional cameras in the right place at the right time. Possibly a coincidence, possibly not.



Not sure what to make of this from The Mail: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1332811/TUITION-FEES-PROTEST-Students-streets-girls-leading-charge.html">Rage of the girl rioters: Britain's students take to the streets again - and this time women are leading the charge

:hi:

[dipsydoodle]

5. I hadn't watched tv earlier that day

before the van was vandalised. It may be that it was in an area where they hadn't anticipated the students being. I picked up on the coverage where the police were blocking some exits with hand held metal barriers and the students kept ripping them away form them seemingly oblivious the fact they were being filmed with both video and stills. Such footage was then used to sift who was who when they were "kettled" until after midnight and released one at time. If they're going to do the same next Tuesday I wish them luck - forecast for London is snow.

[Odin2005]

6. Go protesters!!!