This is mental. Smashing up Millbank Tower!
Sorry if there is already a thread
Sorry if there is already a thread
The Higher Education Thread | First University with £18k pa fees to open
- Thread starter MalibuKen
- Start date
The money wasted for fixing today's damage could have been used to feed the poor.
the money the banking industry has lost through the collapse could have cleared third world debt and still left us all in a better position for the future
Some people attend these protests just to create chaos and start fights with other people/police. Rarely is there a 'peaceful' protest without some stupid incident.
On a side note, good see students are protesting and are standing up to the Tories and that prick Nick Clegg.
On a side note, good see students are protesting and are standing up to the Tories and that prick Nick Clegg.
They're utter twats. This is why big protests never work - you just get the anarchists and anti-capitalists out causing trouble. The most effective ones are the smaller ones where everyone protesting has a common goal.
Everybody attending this one had a common goal... stopping the new tuition fees. It wasn't one of these vague multi-cause mayday ones.
Are you suggesting the protest would have been more effective simply by being made smaller?
Are you suggesting the protest would have been more effective simply by being made smaller?
Generally speaking yes. There are just too many factions today. Some people are looking to cause trouble(the anarchists etc) despite the fact the NUS said they found that behaviour disgraceful. Then you have the majority of the protesters who are fighting against the rise in fees, then you have another minority who are against all type of fees and want free higher education.
That's the problem - look at the Gurkha protest - far smaller, but the common goal was evident, and it worked.
Basically, as was always going to happen, this has just been an excuse for a number of people to have a bit of a ruck.
I know a few mates who are still at Uni and they were revelling in their plans. Down to London on the train, load of cans beforehand. It sounded like my pre match ritual!
I know a few mates who are still at Uni and they were revelling in their plans. Down to London on the train, load of cans beforehand. It sounded like my pre match ritual!
It's probably wrong that I'm watching the coverage hoping that the riot police go ape shit and start beating up random anarchists.
Students = anarchists?
Students = anarchists?
Nar, loads of good students there protesting peacefully. Some anarchists and anti-capitalist professional moaners have turned up giving students a bad name.
I graduated this year, so I'm with ya!
Get them batons out!
In all seriousness, you'd think that an educated chunk of the population would be clued up enough to realise that as soon as their protest goes down this route, it loses all credibility...
Yeh, precisely. It's quite sad really that there was a serious point to be made here by students who are really worried about the future of education, and their protest is devalued by certain other people who came solely to cause trouble. Everything positive that happened today has now been lost.
Without making any value judgment on the protest march or the violence, do you remember the poll tax?
Indeed. That was the last time everyone just stood up and said 'feck off' to the Tories. Now is the time to do it again.
Well it was basically a case of
Very unpopular Tory Policy
->
Massive protest
->
Turns into riot
->
Policy scrapped
I'm not saying it was scrapped as a direct consequence of the rioting, but it certainly didn't seem to do the cause any damage.
The point being, that while I'm not condoning the violence, it doesn't relaly detract credabillty from the cause (as most people are smart enough to seperate the cause form the minoryt of thugs). However, like it or not, it does push the issue higher in people's consciousness... basically a case of "no such thing as bad publicity".
This is why I think the "small protests are better" argument is flawed. The more noise you make, the more people pay attention. Sadly some people chose to cross the line in making that noise.
Like the bastards ever had a good name!What?
I'm 22, so I still remember the truth about student life!
And how many protests have there been against governments since?
I'm loving all this
Against specific policies?
Well, there was fox hunting, but that got watered down into general countryside issues and besides they were too posh to riot properly, and the proper anarchsist weren't on their side.
And the war, but you're never going to disuade a leader from going to war once they've got their heart set on it.
Can't think of many other big ones other than the general anti-capitalist stuff.
2 things.
The poll tax was a far bigger issue, effecting a bigger proportion of the population at a time when the recession was biting even more than it is now. Generally, we're more affluent now.
I never said that it won't get coverage. It clearly will - but their cause now lacks any real semblance of credibility. It gives the coalition something to hide behind and deflect attention from the real issue.
Looks like the Met high ups were caught off-guard earlier and have been playing catchup ever since. They underestimated the aggression of some of those taking part, rank and file officers left out in the open with insufficient support.
Although the protesters are divided, Sky News let two groups of students have a fairly heated debate about the unfolding violence about and hour ago.
Although the protesters are divided, Sky News let two groups of students have a fairly heated debate about the unfolding violence about and hour ago.
True, this is never going to take on the same scale as the Poll Tax, but by the same token it will be easier for the government to back down on to some degree.
I just don't think that's true.
Do you think the average person who before today thought "These new tuition fees don't seem fair to me" has now changed their mind because of a few people starting a ruck?
Or that next time somebody asks Clegg why he's performed a U-turn on fees he previously claimed were unfair he'll say "never mind that, some people had a riot, so your question is not relevant"?
The British are well used to having a few hangers on looking for a fight, and don't generally let it distract from the point at hand.
On the positive side, from the police perspective, this clearly shows that they winning the war on drugs.
In my days as as student we'd all have been way too stoned for all this, and they clearly didn't realise how things had changed...
These students are idiots, the whole point of university is to increase your job prospects, these students have broken into a secure and critical building so no doubt they'll all be getting criminal records, ergo their job prospects will fall badly.
Not related to this today but I would make accepting student loans a social contract, that if you commit any pre-meditated crime you lose your right to funding and have to pay all outstanding debts immediately.
Not related to this today but I would make accepting student loans a social contract, that if you commit any pre-meditated crime you lose your right to funding and have to pay all outstanding debts immediately.
It amazes me how many students write about their role in protests on their CVs. Is there anything less attractive to a potential employer than to discover that the applicant has history in organising protests?
It's one point of university, it's not the whole point. Education is valuable in and of itself, as is research, which is a huge part of university. The sense of activism and community on campus is another large part of being at university.
Universities should not be learning factories that you attend to be turned into a part of a corporate machine. This sounds like I'm some crazed hippy, but I'm really not. Peace out man.
Especially when they spillover into violence, if you organise an effective protest that changes policy whilst remaining peaceful then write about it but instances like today then absolutely not. It should destroy job prospects, breaking and entering, causing criminal damage, breaching the peace in Central London on national television and undoubtedly now attracting the attention of the Security Service.
I think it's the non-violent aspects of organisation they'd boast about. Why not? It suggests organisational and leadership traits which could look attractive on any CV.
Besides, I don't think anyones going to boast about smashing up the conservative party HQ on their CV...unless they're applying for a job in the mines.
That is why the government encourages people to go to university and why the nation supports money being spent on it. Public support for students will fall because of this.
I wonder how many of these students without their faces covered realise that they broke into a building next door to the headquarters of MI5?
I bet you had a great time at university Brian, you really seem to embody the student spirit.I started the university funding thread which states my opposition to the changes in funding, all people could watch such scenes and condone them in their entirety and come to a conclusion that their cause is less well off consequently.
Plus my opinion is that so many at university are lazy in this country which is why I went to the United States where teaching is on another level entirely - you don't get pubs and bars full all night every night of the week there with university students I can tell you.
Jesus, I'm glad you're not in charge then!
One crime of any kind and you lose your right to education? Are you into cutting off shop-lifters hands and stuff too?
Mi5 aren't really going to bother themselves with chasing after some students just because they were close by.
But breaking into and storming the offices of the governing party of the United Kingdom with party staff still inside the building using criminal means to try and change government policy - that will get their interest.
That is exactly what I am saying, if you break societies laws you don't get societies money to go to university. Besides most of these students in Millbank this evening will be thrown out of their universities for bringing them into disrepute.Jesus, I'm glad you're not in charge then!
One crime of any kind and you lose your right to education? Are you into cutting off shop-lifters hands and stuff too?