Protest in London over tuition increases

[Heavencloud]

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/...e9a2c43ec7e8eb

Thousands of UK students protest tuition fees hike

(AP) – 11 hours ago

LONDON (AP) — Tens of thousands of students marched through London on Wednesday against plans to triple university tuition fees, and violence erupted as a minority battled police and trashed a building containing the headquarters of the governing Conservative Party.

Organizers said 50,000 students, lecturers and supporters demonstrated against plans to raise the cost of studying at a university to 9,000 pounds ($14,000) a year — three times the current rate — in the largest street protest yet against the government's sweeping austerity measures.

As the march passed a high-rise building that houses Conservative headquarters, some protesters smashed windows as others lit a bonfire of placards outside the building.

Office workers were evacuated as several dozen demonstrators managed to get into the lobby, scattering furniture, smashing CCTV cameras, spraying graffiti and chanting "Tories Out," while outside police faced off against a crowd that occasionally hurled food, soda cans and placards.

"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.

The violence appeared to be carried out by a small group as hundreds of others stood and watched. Anarchist symbols and the words "Tory scum" were spray-painted around the building, and black and red flags flew from atop an office block beside the 29-story Millbank Tower.

Rooftop protesters threw down water, paper — and in one case a fire extinguisher, to boos from the crowd below.

Police said eight people, a mix of protesters and police officers, were taken to hospitals with minor injuries.

The Metropolitan Police said, "A small minority of protesters have taken it upon themselves to cause damage to property, whilst the vast majority have peacefully made their point."

Nearby, the headquarters of Britain's MI5 spy agency, Thames House, was sealed with heavy metal doors as police guarded the rear exits.

Organizers condemned the violence. Sally Hunt, general secretary of faculty group the University and College Union, said "the actions of a minority, out of 50,000 people, is regrettable."

Elsewhere, protesters were peaceful but determined.

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

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

Frances O'Grady, of the Trades Union Congress, said the hike would make colleges "no-go zones for young people from ordinary backgrounds."

"This is about turning colleges and universities from learning institutions into finishing schools for the rich," she said.

Britain's Liberal Democrats, who are part of the coalition government with the Conservatives, pledged during the country's election campaign to abolish fees.

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

The National Union of Students said it would try to recall legislators from the party who vote in favor on the hike.

"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 union President Aaron Porter.

While British tuition fees are modest compared to those at some U.S. colleges, British universities are public institutions. Opponents of the tuition increase have pointed out that Prime Minister David Cameron and other members of the government attended elite universities such as Oxford and Cambridge at a time when university education was free.

The previous Labour government of Prime Minister Tony Blair 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 3,000 pounds ($4,800) a year.

Prime Minister David Cameron's government plans to triple that and cut funding to universities as it strives to slash 81 billion pounds ($128 billion) from public expenditure over the next four years.

Raphael G. Satter of the Associated Press contributed to this report.

Wow, how about Britain cries me a river. $4800 a year? I pay $500 less than that each semester for an in state public university. Welcome to the American way.

Good to see that they're protesting though, because education shouldn't be as expensive as it is here in the states...

[Zilong]

Pretty sure Britain taxes way more shit for a hell lot more for them to get relatively lower tuition cost though

[Demosthenes11]

there's supposed to be more massive UC protests here in the next few months over raising tuition another thousand or so. Those are typically the same students protesting that also protest when the UC says it can't continue to fund random ass shit like filipino-american veterans funds. moral of the story? college students r dumb

[Shiroikage]

Students are the worst.
The worst.

[drwaffles]

That's what you get for voting the Tories in just because you didn't like Blair. Moral of the story? Voters are dumb.

[Jodwahh]

I fully agree with the Tories on this one. Fuck off do I want my taxes to pay for some work shy little arsehole to go and party at Uni for 3 years then have considerabley higher earning potential. Fucking students.

[Denchi]

I would like taxpayers to pay for me to go to school and party. Just my opinion, of course.

[Kaisha]

Even with the party-goers and shit, wouldn't tripled tuition costs have a longterm backlash as far as future jobs go due to people not being able to afford the education required for some positions?

[Blarg]

make it hard for people to get uneducated

act surprised when, generations later, everyone is retarded and things suck

[Arcana]

That's what you get for voting the Tories in just because you didn't like Blair. Moral of the story? Voters are dumb.

So true, and lets not forget the lib dem's didn't want an increase on student tuition fees. luckily i live in scotland and we have a whole different way of dealing with higher education payments than the rest of the uk, thank god for devolution.

[Wintermute]

make it hard for people to get uneducated

act surprised when, generations later, everyone is retarded and things suck

If the Students I went to Uni with 4 years ago are any indication people are plenty retarded now.
Not to mention the majority of students I know can't find a job anyway so all that higher earning potential is pretty much worthless.

I often wonder if I'd have been better off just forgetting about Uni and getting a job right off the bat so I could start climbing the wage ladder sooner.
Or at least study something useful instead of my English Degree.

[Kuya]

In the State's university here, the administration is planning to increase tuition by 800$, with tuition here generally being around 700-900 depending on the number of credits. It's causing a lot of ruckus.

[Hyan]

What is this 'tuition cost'?

Atm we have quite a few students here stating the government should raise the pay they give us students because we can't afford going to gym or buy healthier food with it. Q_Q

[Kuya]

What is this 'tuition cost'?

Atm we have quite a few students here stating the government should raise the pay they give us students because we can't afford going to gym or buy healthier food with it. Q_Q

so jalous

[ZarakiKujata]

there's supposed to be more massive UC protests here in the next few months over raising tuition another thousand or so. Those are typically the same students protesting that also protest when the UC says it can't continue to fund random ass shit like filipino-american veterans funds. moral of the story? college students r dumb

well they are going to UC....

[Shiroikage]

I often wonder if I'd have been better off just forgetting about Uni and getting a job right off the bat so I could start climbing the wage ladder sooner.
Or at least study something useful instead of my English Degree.

If it makes you feel any better, you would've.

[Mizango]

What is this 'tuition cost'?

Atm we have quite a few students here stating the government should raise the pay they give us students because we can't afford going to gym or buy healthier food with it. Q_Q

h8u

[Venga]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1bHO...layer_embedded

A few of my mates went. Personally think they're right, paying that amount to be educated is stupid. Probably should charge the people who fail.

[Corresapolonia]

honestly go fuck all of you who didnt study. because you know shit about today's way of university. you get a shitton to do every semester. most students just fuck around and party all the time (let's call them hippies) but many of students really work hard for their degree i can't understand your way of "making knowledge a good for wealthy people". what the fuck is wrong with you? why do you have to pay so much for this shit? you want to be elitized because you can learn more in your life? go fuck your mom you inbred asshole. there is nothing worse than people saying "theyre not paying enough".

[Cadsuane]

eh... 14 grand is pretty steep. It's a good thing Canada isn't in such a fiscal shithole, doubtlessly the tories here would have similar ideas about spending cuts.