Thousands of UK students protest tuition fees hike

http://timesofearth.com/recommended/?NT=17&nid=29643 LONDON - Tens of thousands of students have protested against plans by the British government to raise university tuition fees, smashing windows and lighting fires in London, the capital.

Wednesday's protest near the houses of parliament was the largest street demonstration in the country since the government announced tough austerity measures to curb public deficit.

Some students attempted to force their way into the party headquarters of David Cameron, the prime minister, forcing the building to be evacuated.

Several dozen protesters managed to get into the lobby of the building, while outside police faced off
an angry crowd.

"We are destroying the building just like they are destroying our chances of affording higher education," said Corin Parkin, 20, a student at London's City University.

Student leaders, who said about 50,000 people had marched through central London, condemned the violence as "despicable".

The police reported that 14 people had been injured, including seven officers.

Wednesday's rally was held to protest against the decision by the coalition Conservative and Liberal Democrat government to raise the cost of studying by up to $14,000 a year.

"I am here because it is important that students stand up and shout about what is going on," Anna Tennant-Siren, a student at the University of Ulster, told the AP news agency.

"Politicians don't seem to care. They should be taking money from people who earn seven-figure salaries, not from students who don't have any money."

The move to raise fees has also sparked anger as it contradicts a pre-election promise made by the Liberal Democrats, who had said they would abolish fees.

Protest leaders have said they would attempt to use recall powers to oust politicians who break campaign promises on the issue.

The National Union of Students said it would try to recall legislators from the Liberal Democrats who vote in favour of the increase.

"We will not tolerate the previous generation passing on its debts to the next, nor will we pick up the bill to access a college and university education that was funded for them," said Aaron Porter, president of the union, said.

The previous Labour government introduced the first fees for students soon after it was elected in 1997.

Scotland abolished tuition fees in 2000, and in the rest of Britain the cost is capped at about $4,800 a year.

The coalition government plans to triple that and cut funding to universities as it strives to slash $128bn from public expenditure over the next four years.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Student
• protest
• in
• London
• turns
• violent

[bloodmercs]

@JackHargreave *sigh* on economics yes the conservatives are right wing, as capitalism is always considered right of the political spectrum, however when it comes to personal liberties, (personal freedoms) The conservatives are actually more libetarian than Labour.

[statewithinastateuk]

@JackHargreave I did not say you were retarded i said you were one of those totally ignorant people whose ears are closed. You would not even look up the meaning of the word communitarian which the Conservatives claim to be

[JackHargreave]

@statewithinastateuk No your wrong. Conservatives are right wing on the political spectrum im not retarded, i am taking government and politics at A level so i have a pretty good understanding on this. Communists are extreme left wing.

[statewithinastateuk]

@JackHargreave Thats because you dont know what the conservatives mean when they call themselves progressive and communitarian. look the terms up and watch vids on my channel. Particularly the one called political correctness.

[JackHargreave]

@statewithinastateuk communist Conservative you say. last time i checked that was the opposite on the political scale

[RoyalfactsforUK]

Its really pathetic that a few sad pitiful retards believe camilla will ever be anything more than the EVIL common vile ugly whore she is. This common repulsive syphilis riddled camilla prostitute was always considered wholly unsuitable. We must not forget Princess Diana was a VIRGIN when she married and the Queen will probably now live as long as her mother. Hopefully we will have the idiot inbred parasite 'tampax charles' AND his vile whore ‘disposed of’ in a nasty fatal accident very soon!

[ToxicOdiousOne]

Angry anarchist socialists. Lol. Education would be wasted on such animals.

[komaki119]

@MrNaryal twat

[YodaVanGrindey95]

@MrNaryal We shouldn't be in Afghanistan nor Iraq, check Wikileaks, iran is where we need to be,

[justicepartyuk]

tuition fee must be abolished, 3 year degree must be completed in 18 months.