Protest Turning Nasty In Trafalgar Sq

[Timm]

Meanwhile, in Oxford, they've occupied the Radcliffe Camera, installed a sound system and are having a free party.

Edit: It was pretty shit though, and I think they've gone for lunch now.

Edited November 24, 2010 by Timm

[pyracantha]

please do not beat our policemen ... we, the tax payers, actually pay them to do this job ...

I don't think many protesters set out to scrap with the police - they are clearly not well prepared for that.

I think if you look at the live coverage it's the police who have the weapons. A few placards being thrown doesn't really count as beating the police.

Edited November 24, 2010 by pyracantha

[General Congreve]

http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/Politics/Students-Plan-Fees-Protests-In-London-Birmingham-Glasgow-Manchester-And-Cambridge/Article/201011415824326

At least one of them has a brain

Bit of a half-@rsed job they're doing of smashing that van up, useless namby pamby's, if you're going to do something like that as least hit it like you mean it, FFS.

Personally I have no sympathy, check out the video on this page from the Guardian, a reporter is interviewing students from Westminster Kingsway College. Most of them can't string a sentence together, let alone coherently articulate the reasons they are against the fees.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2010/nov/24/student-school-pupils-protests-walkout

Check out 00:45, hilarious!!! - "The government is taking away money that is unnecessary, see what I mean?".

If this country knew what it was doing this lot would be working in factories making stuff and we'd have growth like China.

Edited November 24, 2010 by General Congreve

[CrashConnoisseur]

I liked Clegg's comment that students should read the government proposals first and "look and listen before you march and shout".

Maybe they did....after having read their election manifestos.

[Timak]

Bit of a half-@rsed job they're doing of smashing that van up, useless namby pamby's, if you're going to do something like that as least hit it like you mean it, FFS.

Personally I have no sympathy, check out the video on this page from the Guardian, a reporter is interviewing students from Westminster Kingsway College. Most of them can't string a sentence together, let alone coherently articulate the reasons they are against the fees.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2010/nov/24/student-school-pupils-protests-walkout

Check out 00:45, hilarious!!! - "The government is taking away money that is unnecessary, see what I mean?".

If this country knew what it was doing this lot would be working in factories making stuff and we'd have growth like China.

You actually think that getting our youngsters to work in factories for £5 a day would be a good thing for the country?

I've been to China, the standard of living is light years behind the UK for an average person.

[General Congreve]

Democracy is doing a terrible job of sorting this one out, and I doubt direct democracy would do any better. The costs are being put onto a small group of voters: the young, including those not yet old enough to vote. This is what happens when debts can be run up by one age group which have to be repaid by another who had no say in the matter. National debts create an intergenerational moral hazard.

Very good point. And the continued pension and health liabilities of the older generations are only compounding the problem, not to mention the elderly helping to maintain high house prices through continued occupancy to the age of 80+. Flu pandemic anyone?

[General Congreve]

You actually think that getting our youngsters to work in factories for £5 a day would be a good thing for the country?

I've been to China, the standard of living is light years behind the UK for an average person.

They could be building BMW's or something similar if this country got it's act together, factory work doesn't have to be slave labour, Germany proves that.

That kid at 00.45 isn't fit to anything other than flip burgers though, why we should pay for him to fail at University is beyond me.

Anyway, bottom line is the country can't afford to send all these chancers to Uni, so we better think how we can better integrate them into a productive society in a way that doesn't make us a massive loss. Of course we won't manage it. Labour will be back in next time, cos everyone wants everything for free. The unrealistic aspirations of the population of this country will drag us into the mire until we have to learn the hard way why we cannot afford the standard of living we think we deserve.

Edited November 24, 2010 by General Congreve

[Orsino]

Jeez. Why don't the Sky News presenters just go the whole hog and put on police uniforms? Talk about a one-sided perspective.

[PopGun]

Seriously, how long can Clegg and his fellow turncoats last before thery're forced to resign? Oh silly me, that would bring the government down.

Edit: didn't take long for the anarchists and socialists to gate crash this one again.

Edited November 24, 2010 by PopGun

[IWantItNow]

Bit of a half-@rsed job they're doing of smashing that van up, useless namby pamby's, if you're going to do something like that as least hit it like you mean it, FFS.

Personally I have no sympathy, check out the video on this page from the Guardian, a reporter is interviewing students from Westminster Kingsway College. Most of them can't string a sentence together, let alone coherently articulate the reasons they are against the fees.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2010/nov/24/student-school-pupils-protests-walkout

Check out 00:45, hilarious!!! - "The government is taking away money that is unnecessary, see what I mean?".

If this country knew what it was doing this lot would be working in factories making stuff and we'd have growth like China.

Couldn't agree more. Potential Doctors/Architects/Teachers whatever aren't protesting I bet. It will just be the guy from Solihull wanting to do his media studies degree (i.e. d**k around in education for x more years).

[shindigger]

Bit of a half-@rsed job they're doing of smashing that van up, useless namby pamby's, if you're going to do something like that as least hit it like you mean it, FFS.

Personally I have no sympathy, check out the video on this page from the Guardian, a reporter is interviewing students from Westminster Kingsway College. Most of them can't string a sentence together, let alone coherently articulate the reasons they are against the fees.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2010/nov/24/student-school-pupils-protests-walkout

Check out 00:45, hilarious!!! - "The government is taking away money that is unnecessary, see what I mean?".

If this country knew what it was doing this lot would be working in factories making stuff and we'd have growth like China.

****** that was depressing.

Who are politicians that planted this sense of "right" in ther heads?

A decent state education til 16 is a right. The rest you make your own way.

Who sold them the lie?

It was the Tony and Gordon show.

I always remember the bottom of my school report as a 5th former in 1982.

It read "Would xxxxxx, benefit from a year in the 6th form"

And there written clearly at the bottom was a resounding "No".

They did me a favour.

This is vanity education at its worst.

Helped by Tescos et al requiring a ******ing degree to inspect lettuce.

And none of these plebs can join the dots.

[PopGun]

Couldn't agree more. Potential Doctors/Architects/Teachers whatever aren't protesting I bet. It will just be the guy from Solihull wanting to do his media studies degree (i.e. d**k around in education for x more years).

Or the media have been quite selective in what type of student they interview.......

[Orsino]

Sky News co-commentator former policeman currently justifying police use of force 'even though it may look bad on TV' and is now telling the crowd to disburse.

Perhaps Sky News should be broadcast by megaphone rather than satellite.

[shindigger]

They could be building BMW's or something similar if this country got it's act together, factory work doesn't have to be slave labour, Germany proves that.

That kid at 00.45 isn't fit to anything other than flip burgers though, why we should pay for him to fail at University is beyond me.

Anyway, bottom line is the country can't afford to send all these chancers to Uni, so we better think how we can better integrate them into a productive society in a way that doesn't make us a massive loss. Of course we won't manage it. Labour will be back in next time, cos everyone wants everything for free. The unrealistic aspirations of the population of this country will drag us into the mire until we have to learn the hard way why we cannot afford the standard of living we think we deserve.

Put them in the curry.

[IWantItNow]

Or the media have been quite selective in what type of student they interview.......

Touche.

[PopGun]

****** that was depressing.

Who are politicians that planted this sense of "right" in ther heads?

A decent state education til 16 is a right. The rest you make your own way.

Who sold them the lie?

It was the Tony and Gordon show.

I always remember the bottom of my school report as a 5th former in 1982.

It read "Would xxxxxx, benefit from a year in the 6th form"

And there written clearly at the bottom was a resounding "No".

They did me a favour.

This is vanity education at its worst.

Helped by Tescos et al requiring a ******ing degree to inspect lettuce.

And none of these plebs can join the dots.

Don’t let them see your resentment spill over will you? ffs.

As for entitlement to free HR education, I have no idea where this has come from. May have something to do with previous generations getting theirs for free.

Not that any of this matters of course, because the vast majority of these fees and associated debt will never get fully paid back.

[bearORbullENIGMA]

This is like abusing fireman for getting your house wet when your house is on fire!

Do Firemen use kettling tactics to deliberately provoke violent responses from otherwise peaceful protesters too?

[Dorkins]

****** that was depressing.

Who are politicians that planted this sense of "right" in ther heads?

A decent state education til 16 is a right. The rest you make your own way.

Who sold them the lie?

It was the Tony and Gordon show.

I always remember the bottom of my school report as a 5th former in 1982.

It read "Would xxxxxx, benefit from a year in the 6th form"

And there written clearly at the bottom was a resounding "No".

They did me a favour.

This is vanity education at its worst.

Helped by Tescos et al requiring a ******ing degree to inspect lettuce.

And none of these plebs can join the dots.

Good post. The right answer to reducing the cost of universities is to limit it to the brightest students.

[_w_]

I'm watching this on the BBC right now.

One day this 'boxing in' business will turn into a bloodbath. I don't understand why they don't see it.

[Dorkins]

Not that any of this matters of course, because the vast majority of these fees and associated debt will never get fully paid back.

In 2004 the government changed the law so that you cannot default on student debts, even if you go bankrupt. They have created a new, legal form of indentured servitude to the state which young people sign up for at 17 before they know any better. This wasn't so bad for my generation (graduated early 2000s) who left with £10k of this special debt, but when kids are leaving with £30k, £40k, £50k of it things will be somewhat different.

Imagine starting life at 21, £50k in the hole, and that debt can never be wiped clean. That's what the government is proposing.

[shindigger]

Don’t let them see your resentment spill over will you? ffs.

As for entitlement to free HR education, I have no idea where this has come from. May have something to do with previous generations getting theirs for free.

Not that any of this matters of course, because the vast majority of these fees and associated debt will never get fully paid back.

What? Absolutely zero resentment here.

I feel sorry for them.

Lots of "students" have been had by the previous Labour government.

Theyve been cluster ******ed by the vanity of Labour and the greed and dominance of big corporations.

This would all be far more relevant if they were smashing Tesco HQ up in my opinion.

[Austin Allegro]

They could be building BMW's or something similar if this country got it's act together, factory work doesn't have to be slave labour, Germany proves that.

That kid at 00.45 isn't fit to anything other than flip burgers though, why we should pay for him to fail at University is beyond me.

Anyway, bottom line is the country can't afford to send all these chancers to Uni, so we better think how we can better integrate them into a productive society in a way that doesn't make us a massive loss. Of course we won't manage it. Labour will be back in next time, cos everyone wants everything for free. The unrealistic aspirations of the population of this country will drag us into the mire until we have to learn the hard way why we cannot afford the standard of living we think we deserve.

Well said. People don't seem to understand that higher education was a bubble the same as property was.

It's become a pay-your-own dole scheme for youngsters.

The whole sector has been expanded beyond reason to keep youth unemployment down and provide employment for academics, administrators, the conference trade and the building/facilities management trade, whilst at the same time academic standards have been dropped to keep numbers up.

I wouldn't expect most students to understand this though. If they did, why weren't they out protesting years ago about the decline in standards and over-expansion of the sector? Perish the thought of protesting against a Labour government!

Edited November 24, 2010 by Austin Allegro

[shindigger]

Well said. People don't seem to understand that higher education was a bubble the same as property was.

It's become a pay-your-own dole scheme for youngsters.The whole sector has been expanded beyond reason to keep youth unemployment down and provide employment for academics, administrators, the conference trade and the building/facilities management trade, whilst at the same time academic standards have been dropped to keep numbers up.

I wouldn't expect most students to understand this though. If they did, why weren't they out protesting years ago about the decline in standards and over-expansion of the sector? Perish the thought of protesting against a Labour government!

Nail.

But they had to sex it up with a "degree" at the end.

Poor *******.

[cakehead]

Thank heavens someone is standing up to government. They're there to serve the people, not enslave it. I'd begun to wonder about the bulldog spirit since '79, looks like this new generation has some guts at any rate and isn't prepared to kneel before the altar of capital.

[pyracantha]

Jeez. Why don't the Sky News presenters just go the whole hog and put on police uniforms? Talk about a one-sided perspective.

Agreed. "Officers reportedly now got public order equipment on - helmets, protective overalls". No mention of the batons, body armour, shields, and horses round the corner.

"Quite a few missiles being thrown towards the police" - So hitting people over the head with a baton doesn't need commentary?

I think we will see increasingly violent protests with all sorts of aggrieved parties/bodies getting co-ordinated.

The problem for the police is that they are effectively the "piggies in the middle". At the moment, the protesters will see the police as an 'obstacle'. In future they might start being the 'target'.