As activists and union officers in the student movement, we are excited about the prospect of the NUS national demonstration on November 21st. We have been organising street mobilisations and direct action against fees and austerity for two years – often without the support of the NUS’s leadership. After a hard campaign at conference in April, we were delighted to have won the vote to call a fresh wave of action against fees, cuts and privatisation.
This autumn gives the student movement a vital opportunity to reassert its resolve to fight for a fair education system, and to do so at the heart of government. At every possible point, students and delegates have reaffirmed their commitment to mobilising en masse for fully funded education, in a strong coalition with a broader movement to save the welfare state.
We are therefore extremely disappointed with the proposed route for the demonstration. It marches along Embankment, one of the least visible and effective routes possible, before turning across Westminster Bridge. Rather than rallying at Parliament, this proposal then invites us to vent our anger in Kennington Park. The rally point proposed for the national demo is in Zone 2: its nearest major landmark is Surrey County Cricket Club.
Both the slogan (Education, Employ, Empower) and the route for #demo2012 are a long way from what conference voted for, and neither seemed to have involved any meaningful consultation.
We are therefore urging NUS to revisit the route for the national demo, so that we can make the biggest possible impact on November 21st.
Below is a list of initial signatories. To add your name, email [email protected]
Michael Chessum, NUS NEC
Daniel Cooper, ULU Vice President
Luke Frost, Maidstone Campus Officer, University of the Creative Arts Students Union
Mike Williamson, NUS NEC
Alex Peters Day, LSESU General Secretary
Max Crema, Edinburgh VP Services
Roshni Joshi, NUS NEC
Luke Durigan, NUS HE Zone Committee
Naomi Beecroft, Edinburgh Women’s Officer
Gordon Malone, President for Welfare and Equal Opportunities at AUSA and NUS Scotland Vice President (Community)
James McAsh, President, Edinburgh University Students’ Association
Simon Furse, Birmingham Guild of Students VP Education
Maham Hashmi, SOAS International Officer
Edwin Clifford-Coupe, UCLU Education and Campaigns Officer
Mike Shaw, Edinburgh
Edd Bauer, NCAFC Secretariat
Sam Gaus, UCLU Democracy and Communications Officer
Hannah Webb, UCLU Community Officer
Aurora Lily Fairtlough Reid SOAS students union women’s officer
Luisa Hinze SOAS students union environment officer
Arianna Tassinarri, NUS Postgraduate and International Committees
Natasha Gorodnitski, UCLU Ethics, Environment and Operations Officer
Ruth Nicholson, RHUL and NCAFC NC
Hannah Sketchly, UCLU Media Officer 2011-12
Rustam Majainah, RHUL and Young Greens National Committee
Grant Chapman-Clarke, VP Activities at the University of Portsmouth
Georgie Robertson SOAS campaigns officer
Omar Zaki SOAS students union secretary
Leah Edwards SOAS students union accommodation officer
Matthew Reuben, former Royal Holloway Equality and Liberation Officer
Dan Heley, RHUL Labour Students Chair, Exec Entertainment Officer
Chris Page, CUSU Welfare & Rights Officer
Lucy Eskell, EUSA external campaigns rep
Matthew Brett, SOAS economics department
Kristian Bruun Academic Affairs Officer SOAS
Thomas Walpole, press officer, calderdale and kirklees student assembly
Tim Huzar, Postgraduate Students’ Rep, Brighton SU
Jack Rundle, Equality and Diversity Officer at Godalming College Student Union
Thais Yanez, Anti Fascism Anti Racism Officer Birkbeck Student Union, NCAFC NC, London Student Liberation Network
Matthew Smith, Ruskin College
Esther Townsend, NCAFC Women’s Committee and UEL
Dominique Ucbas, Vice President Diversity & Advocacy, University of Strathclyde Students Association
Sara Moon, Development Officer, Sheffield University SU
Tom Meadowcroft, Staffordshire Student Councillor
Oli Rushby, SURHUL Student Trustee
Tai Ray-Jones, Vice-President Wellbeing, University of Brighton Students’ Union
Jacob Kahane, President, Brighton Students’ Union
Richard Penny, Southampton Students for Education
George Disney, Southampton Students for Education
Ben Beach, UCL Defend Education, NCAFC
David Pleavin, Chair of Council Brighton SU & NUS LGBT Committee
Manchester Against Fees And Cuts, as a group
Alex Fulton SOAS co-President Welfare and Education
Kabir Joshi SOAS black students officer
Sam Bland, student activist, Chair of Varndean College Student Union
David East, SOAS SU LGBTQ Officer
The route is also highly inaccessible.
The end point is a good 10-15 minute bus ride to any accessible mainline station. The nearest Accessible Tube station is Brixton (also a good 10 minute bus journey).
The end point is an incredibly busy set of roads all on red routes so it”s going to be very difficult to get coaches in a stopped for long enough.
The only toilets nearby are in a cafe in the park and these are inaccessible.
There are shops but with the exception of the cafe these are also at least 5 minutes from the stop point, longer for people with ambulatory mobility impairments.
What is the proposed alternative route?
In response to the comments about the in accessibility of the demo. This is a demo and therefore can not be fully accessible to everyone. That is impossible. However NUS has obviously taken access into consideration when it comes to the demo and tried to make it as accessible as possibl to as many people as possible. Which links into why the demo is ending where it is as we have made a lot of arrangements to meet needs.
I’ll take each point as you’ve made it:
I am not really sure what you mean by the route is highly inaccessible. Can you clarify what exactly you mean by inaccessible and I will try and answer your point.
The march will be followed by a mobility bus that will able to pick people up on route if they feel unable to walk the whole distance. It will also be used to move people from the end point to nearest accessible tubes as required.
There will be toilets put up at Kensington park including an accessible toilet (unfortunately this won’t be a changing places toilet but it will meet DDA requirements. We will also be talking to cafes etc on route so that we can mark out usable toilets as well as public toilets along the way.
If you have any other questions or comments about the accessibility of the march please get in contact and if you would like to march with the disabled students block please join us at the front of the march so that we can set a suitable pace for some of our slower protesters.
Hannah paterson
Disabled students officer
[email protected]
I realise you’re urging the NUS to change the march route.
But what if they don’t? (which is more than likely)
Do we disregard the ‘official’ route and take our fight to parliament? I hope so.
Organise. Fight. Educate.
In solidarity, Kent Union