To sign this statement, email againstfeesandcuts@gmail.com

At National Conference, students voted by a clear margin for a radical set of policies to put NUS at the centre of the fight for education and the welfare state. These included a national demonstration in the autumn term and a series of walkouts in FE. The political basis that conference gave this was clear: that education is a public good, and should be funded by taxing the rich; that FE should be free at every level; and that postgraduate education should be fully funded, with living grants open to all graduates.

Due to the extremely short length of conference, a large proportion of motions were not heard, and many were passed on to the National Executive Council (NEC). As a result, the NEC will technically have the ability to pass motion 306 unamended, effectively overruling NUS’s members and returning to a policy of campaigning for a graduate tax. This would be disgraceful, and would lead to division and turmoil within our national union at a time when we most need unity and trust.

As campaigners for public education, and as democrats, we urge the NUS NEC:

•       Not to reverse conference’s mandates on HE funding, either by passing the amendments to 306, or voting not to hear the motion.

•       To organise the wave  of protest in the autumn around the clear political mandate that it was given by conference: that further and higher education should be funded by taxing the rich.

Michael Chessum, NUS NEC

Vicki Baars, NUS LGBT Officer (Women’s Place) and VPUD-elect

Daniel Stevens, NUS NEC and International Students Officer-elect

Luke James, NUS PGT NEC-elect

Robin Burrett, NUS PGR NEC-elect

Gordon Maloney, NUS Scotland VP Communities-elect

Jamie Woodcock, NUS NEC-elect

Mark Bergfeld, NUS NEC

Sky Yarlett, NUS LGBT Officer (Open Place)-elect

Christina Yan-Zhang, NUS International Students Officer

Kanja Sesay, NUS Black Students Officer

Matt Bond, NUS Disabled Students Campaign NEC rep

Sean Rillo Razcka, ULU President-elect and Mature and Part-Time NEC-elect

Luke Durigan, NUS HE Zone Committee and UCL Union Education & Campaigns Officer

James Haywood, NUS Society and Citizenship Zone NEC rep

Anil Sachdeo, NUS NEC and Vice-Chair Birkbeck Students’ Union

Dennis Esch, NUS International Campaign NEC rep-elect

Mike Williamson, Edinburgh University Students’ Association Academic Affairs Officer and NUS NEC-elect

Aaron Kiely, NUS NEC

Charlotte Britton Welfare Officer Swansea SU, NUS Wales NEC

Matt Stanley, NUS NEC-elect

Roshni Joshi, NUS NEC

Mary Prescott, NUS NEC

Zahid Raja, NUS Wales NEC, Swansea University Education Officer-elect

Robert Foster, Education Campaign Convener on the NUS Scotland Executive Committee

Arianna Tassinari, NUS International and Postgraduate Committees and SOAS SU Education and Welfare Officer

Luke Frost, University of the Creative Arts Maidstone Campus Officer

Alex Peters Day, LSESU General Secretary

Claire Locke, London Met SU President

Maev McDaid, President, Liverpool Guild of Students

James McAsh, Edinburgh University Students’ Association President-elect

Fairooz Aniqa, Culture and Diversity Officer at University of the Arts London Students Union

Daf Adley, NCAFC LGBT Rep (Open Place)

Stef Newton, NCAFC LGBT Rep (Women’s Place)

Edward Maltby, NCAFC NC

Ben Towse, UCL Union Postgraduate Association President

Matthew Chadkirk, NCAFC Disabled Campaign Rep

Thomas Blake Johnson, UELSU Education Officer

Daniel Cooper, NCAFC NC, President of Royal Holloway SU and ULU VP-elect

Hanif Leylabi NUS LGBT Committee

Bob Sutton, Vice President, Liverpool Guild of Students

Lukas Slothuus, LSESU Community & Welfare Officer

Ruth Nicholson, Royal Holloway, NCAFC NC

Tom Harris, Academic Affairs Officer-Elect at Royal Holloway, University of London

Stuart Roney, President Stow College SA

Izzy John, Welfare Officer, Warwick SU

Natasha Gorodnitski, UCL Union Ethics, Environment and Operations Officer-elect

Edwin Clifford-Coupe, UCL Union Education and Campaigns Officer-elect

Hannah Webb, UCL Union Community Officer-elect

David Cichon, President, University of Sussex Students’ Union

Max Crema, Edinburgh University Students’ Association VP Services-elect

Steven Martin, University of the Creative Arts Farnham Campus Officer

Edmund Schluessel, International Committee

Kelly McBride, University of Sussex Students’ Union President-elect

Chris Page, Cambridge University Students Union Welfare Officer-elect

Edd Bauer, Birmingham University Guild of Students VP Education

Simon Furse, Birmingham University Guild of Students VP Education-elect

Sam Gaus, UCL Union Democracy and Communications Officer-elect

Jade Baker, NUS Women’s Committee

Jenifer Krase, NUS Women’s Committee

Emma Kerry, NUS LGBT Committee 2010-12, NUS Women’s Committee-elect

Alan Bailey, NUS LGBT Officer (Open Place)

Rustnam Majainah, Young Greens

Aurora Adams, NUS International Campaign Scotland rep-elect

Rob Henthorn, School of Divinity, History and Philosophy convener elect, AUSA

Daphne Heijdelberg, Vice-president Equal Opportunities elect and current Women’s Officer, AUSA

Megan Dunn, Vice-President Education elect and this year’s NUS delegation leader, AUSA

Hanna Moy, Faith Officer elect, AUSA

Kate Harris, LGBT+ Convener, Edinburgh University Students’ Association

Naomi Beecroft, Women’s Liberation Convenor, Edinburgh University Students’ Association, NCAFC National Committee and Women’s Committee.

Alice Swift University of Birmingham Ethical & Environmental Officer Elect

Nadia Mehdi, Mental Health and Well-being Convenor-elect, Edinburgh University Students’ Association

Lucy Eskell, External Campaigns Representative-elect, Edinburgh University Students’ Association, NCAFC National Committee

Abigail Rebekah Barr, ECA President, Edinburgh University Students’ Association

Liam O’Hare, External Campaigns Representative, Edinburgh University Students’ Association

Beti Scott, Equal Opps and Liberation Officer, Edinburgh University Students’ Association

Chara Charsou, Postgraduate Campaigns Representative, Edinburgh University Students’ Association

Lizi Gray, Newcastle College

Nick Hart, Birmingham City

Jack Poole, Brighton

Sam Garratt, Leeds Trinity

Ed Mason, Cardiff  Uni

Georgina Bavetta, Bristol Uni

Susan Cook, LGBT Society President, London Metropolitan university

Ben Beach, Bartlett School Faculty Rep, UCL Union

Charlie Hayes- Student Rep at Birmingham City University

Kiah Manning, Heriot-Watt University Union, Women’s Officer elect

Tom Prior, University of Liverpool, Merseyside Network Against Fees and Cuts

Kristofer Wright, Glasgow Caledonian University LGBT Pres

Ned Hercock, DPhil candidate & Associate Tutor, Sussex uni

Nathan Bolton, Essex Union President-elect

Lani Baird, President Aberdeen College Students’ Association, NUS Scotland & UK LGBT Committee

Lily Hendron, Heriot-Watt Woman’s Officer, SWC-elect

Fran Cowling, NUS LGBT committee elect, and University of Nottingham

Tom Burmeister, Student Support Officer, Aberystwyth Guild of Students

Paul Dunne – Universities at Medway Students’ Association officer

Leander Jones, Vice President of Democracy and Resources elect at Birmingham University Guild of Students

Jack Saffery-Rowe, Royal Holloway student and member of RHACA

Kelly Rogers – University of Birmingham Women’s Officer

Jess Bradley, Students for Sensible Drug Policy UK, Uni of Manchester

Yolly Chegwidden, LGBTUA+ Officer -elect (job share), Warwick SU

Gary Paterson, Student Officer, Angus College Students’ Association

Hannah Louise Wright, Vice-President for Welfare Elect at Aberdeen University Students’ Association

Simon Keble, Goldsmith’s

Krissie Pearse, City College, Coventry

John Bowden, Manchester Metropolitan University

Matt Jenkins, University of Warwick

Jasmine Chohan, Courtauld institute of art

Aadam Siciid-Muuse, Lay-member of Union Council-elect, University of Bradford Students’ Union

Tim Derbyshire, York St Johns University

Howard Littler, Goldsmiths campaigns co-ordinator elect and GMB students officer

Sean Farmelo CAO-elect University of Birmingham

Alex Dickson, UCA Maidstone, Student Experience Officer

Liam McNulty, Cambridge Defend Education.

Azfar Shafi, University of Birmingham

Annabel Jones, Chair and Womens’ Officer, Birkbeck Students’ Union

Dan Heley, Entertainment Officer Elect & President of Labour & Co-Operative Society, Royal Holloway UoL

Beccy Sawbridge, NUS Black Sudents Campaign FE Women’s rep

Joana Ramiro, NCAFC NC, School of Oriental and African Studies

Sophie Filar, UCA Rochester

Liat Norris, Staffordshire University Students Union

Beth Evans, NUS LGBT Committee

Luciana Blaha, International Officer- elect, Worcester University SU

Julian Goodman, NUS Scotland Executive Committee, 1990-91

The national conference of the National Union of Students (NUS) last week approved a series of radical policies to lead the fight back against the government’s agenda in education. To get involved on facebook, join this event

This is a brief report from NCAFC co-founder and NUS NEC member Michael Chessum. A fuller report will appear in due course.

“Education should be funded by taxing the rich and big business. Education is a social good and should be funded by progressive taxation – not by forcing students to take on massive private debts, or cutting university places. Postgraduate degrees should be fully funded, with living grants open to all graduates. Further education should be completely free at every level, with the abolition of all fees. Student unions should be run on the basis of regular, well-built general meetings, and important decisions should be made by students and their elected representatives. The best way to defend the right to protest is by protesting. Universities should be places of political asylum, and students should fight against the anti-trade union laws and other restrictions on workers’ rights, which are themselves an attack on the right to protest. Edd Bauer is to be congratulated on his reinstatement at Birmingham.”

All of this is an almost direct quote from policy passed at conference this week. Still more significantly, none of the above was consensual – all of it was passed in the teeth of opposition, often from the NUS leadership. In other words, this wasn’t a case of slipping free education in unnoticed; the political arguments were had, and we won them. The transformation in the political orientation of NUS over the past two years goes far beyond a matter of tactical commitments, which were:

• A national demonstration in the first term of 2012
• A national FE walkout

Perhaps just as significantly, the left won a fulltime election for the first time in many, many years, with Vicki Baars elected as VPUD.

After a year of relative stagnation, it looks like the student movement is back on. Without sounding too triumphalist about it, I think this does vindicate a couple of things:

1. The NCAFC’s ability to keep up an independent momentum, with our own demos and actions, has been effective in keeping the student movement ticking over in the past year.
2. The intervention of the left was, despite division, the biggest and ultimately the most effective that I’ve ever seen it.
3. The left and NCAFC’s politics – in particular democratisation of education, a national demo, and free education – came to dominate the narrative of conference, with many other groupings and candidates either mimicking our slogans or emphasising similar ones of their own.

by Edd Bauer and Michael Chessum

The National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts has released a report on high executive pay in Britain’s universities. Check it out by clicking here.

We have found that:

• A total of £382 million is being spent on the highest paid members of staff in just 19 universities, roughly double what it was a decade ago.
• These universities are spending 2% more of their total income on high paid jobs than they were a decade ago, while cutting back on student support.
• At present nearly £4 in every £100 is going on paying those earning over £100,000.

This article was published today on Comment if Free. Click here to view it.

By MICHAEL CHESSUM

It has been a year since the TUC national demonstration – under the banner of “Jobs, Growth, Justice” – brought nearly half a million trade unionists and supporters to the streets of London. For the student activists present, who had been mobilising since November 2010, the demonstration marked a high point. Despite having lost the parliamentary vote on tuition fees in December, we felt like our fight had kickstarted the trade union movement into action, and that we had made other reforms – on pensions and the NHS – harder for the coalition to carry out.

With the health and social care bill having just squeezed through parliament, in a morally bankrupt state, the alliance of students, unions and anti-cuts activists that has been fighting the government needs to reflect on what this defeat means, and on what can now be done to rescue what is left of the British welfare state.

Looking beyond the legislative shambles and moral disaster of the coalition’s health bill, the politics surrounding it is characteristic of a new landscape of dissent since 2010, and a sign of things to come. In the aftermath of the passing of tripled tuition fees in December 2010, education activists constantly cited the poll tax as an example of a mass movement overturning unpopular Tory policies after they had become law.

What the health bill illustrates, along with attacks on benefits and pensions, is that the next few years will be a constant and escalating succession of such moments. “What parliament does, the streets can undo” is a slogan that is becoming ubiquitous, but also increasingly doubted. This apparent barrier to effective dissent could have explosive results: if a poll tax moment does eventually emerge from the litany of cuts, privatisations and pay and pensions freezes instituted by the coalition, there is a very real possibility that it will be so generalised and ferocious that it will threaten the basis of the present political order.

Given the pace and scale of the attack we face, holding one’s breath and waiting for an election is a process that, for this generation, seems both politically alien and practically unworkable. It was New Labour that began the processes now under way, with tuition fees, private finance initiatives (PFI) and foundation hospitals. With a leadership that refuses to back even the most ceremonial resistance from its own unions, Labour seems an unlikely solution.

The challenge facing the collection of campaigns and movements opposing the government’s agenda for society is therefore primarily how to make itself a credible extra-parliamentary opposition, with a rhythm of mobilisation independent of parliamentary votes. Much of this work must be done by unions. The biggest strike in decades, on 30 November 2011, was a popular and effective gesture, but none of the anticipated further action over pensions has materialised. Every month that the major unions delay serious co-ordinated strike action is time that will be used to divide workers sector by sector, and to build a political consensus that will make it harder to take the public with us when major action does occur.

Meanwhile, the unofficial actors within the anti-austerity movement have taken on a vast proportion of the burden of actually fighting the government. If the mainstream public presence of Occupy‘s largely anti-capitalist message reflected a shift in the public mood, it also illustrates the failure of leftwing institutions to capitalise on such a shift since Occupy began on 15 October last year.

In the same autumn, students marched on the City against a white paper on privatising higher education – but under the banner of the National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts, not the NUS. Had the NUS put its weight and resources into building it, turnout could have been closer to 100,000 than to the 10,000 who eventually came.

Similarly, the fight against the health bill was often led by grassroots networks such as Keep Our NHS Public and UK Uncut. Despite many months of preparation time, neither the official trade unions nor the Labour party called a national demonstration in defence of the NHS. Only Unite, to its credit, looks like it might now do so.

The need to get the official trade and student union movements to take the need for grassroots mobilisation seriously is not the only challenge facing the anti-austerity movement. One of the key problems that we face is primarily one of ideological renewal. We must overcome the idea, too often internalised by Labour party and trade union leaderships, that the legacy of Thatcher and Blair has left the political mainstream devoid of sympathy for industrial action, direct action or meaningful political alternatives.

One thing is clear, however. The present state of affairs, in which the job of mobilising to save the welfare state – an idea for which generations of people fought – is left primarily to unofficial networks of activists with finite energy and inadequate resources, cannot continue indefinitely. If we are serious about preventing the moral and social catastrophe that the government is threatening, we must build a movement capable of returning to the streets repeatedly, independent of the parliamentary schedule – and our own institutions must take responsibility for leading the fight.

Ahead of NUS National Conference on April 24-26th, ,more than 100 student officers and activists have signed a statement calling on NUS to vote for a national demo in autumn term.

The amendment to vote for, if you are a delegate, is 305b. To add your name, email againstfeesandcuts@gmail.com

“We believe that the National Union of Students should lead the fight back against the Tory-led government’s attacks on students by organising an Autumn 2012 national demonstration in London against soaring student debt, tuition fees and education cuts.

We urge NUS delegates to vote for NUS to organise a national demo at the forthcoming national conference.”

Kanja Sesay, NUS Black Students’ Officer

Vicki Baars, NUS LGBT Officer (Women’s Place)

Kelley Temple, NUS Scotland Women’s Officer & NUS Women’s Officer-Elect

Alan Bailey, NUS LGBT Officer (Open Place)

Matt Bond, NUS NEC (Disabled Students’ Rep)

Nathan Sparling, NUS Scotland LGBT Officer

Ruby Hirsch, NUS NEC

Michael Chessum, NUS NEC

Mark Bergfeld, NUS NEC

Aaron Kiely, NUS NEC

James Haywood, NUS NEC (Soc & Cit) & President, Goldsmith College SU

Joshi Sachdeo, NUS NEC (Black Students’ Rep)

Maev McDaid, President, Liverpool Guild of Students

Sean Rillo Raczka, ULU Vice President & ULU President-Elect

Claire Locke, President, London Met University Students’ Union

Max Wakefield, Vice President Community, University of Bristol Students’ Union

Mike Williamson, Vice President Academic Affairs, Edinburgh University Student Association

Daniel Cooper, ULU Vice-President-Elect, President Royal Holloway SU

Jen Izaakson, London Student Editor-Elect

Giulio Folino, LGBT Society, & President-elect, City University SU

Leander Jones, VP Democracy & Resources-Elect, University of Birmingham Guild of Students

Kelly McBride, NUS LGBT Committee & President-Elect, University of Sussex SU

Amy Masson, Women’s Officer-Elect, University of Sheffield SU

Simon Furse, VP Education, University of Birmingham Guild of Students

Jamie Woodcock, Postgraduate Officer, Goldsmiths College SU

Stef Newton, LGBT Officer, University College London & National Campaign Against Fees & Cuts LGBT Officer

Arianna Tassinari, Co President, SOAS Students’ Union

Finn McGoldrick, NUS LBGT Committee (Women’s Rep)

Sam Coates, Co-Chair Young Greens

Ash Haynes, Co-Chair Young Greens (Women’s Place)

Alex Murray, Education Officer-Elect, Kent University Union

Edward Bauer, VP Education, Birmingham Guild of Students

Alusine Alpha, Union Secretary Treasurer, Bradford University Union

Shakira Akther, Campaigns Sabbatical Officer, University of East London SU

Sara Moon, Union Development Officer-Elect, University of Sheffield SU

Kirat Raj Singh, Education and Welfare Officer-Elect, Birmingham City University

Josiah Mortimer, Environment and Campaigns Rep, Vanbrugh, University of York

Sky Yarlett, NUS LGBT Committee

Rima Amin, NUS Black Students’ Committee

Jamil Keating, Candidate for NUS VP Further Education 2012

Hanif Leylabi, NUS LGBT Committee

Samaira Anjum, NUS Black Students’ Committee, Vice President Community & NUS Delegate 2012, Manchester Met University SU

Alex Peters-Day, General Secretary, LSE SU

Stella Fasusi, BME Officer, Kent University Union

James McCash, NCAFC & Edinburgh University anti-cuts activist

Naomi Lauren Beecroft, NCAFC National Committee & Edinburgh Uni anti-cuts activist

Emma Kerry, NUS LGBT Committee (Disabled Rep)

Andrew Tindall, Campaign Against Fees & Cuts Cymru, Aberystwyth Guild of Students

Edmund Schluessel, Cardiff University Students’ Union

Andrew Ansell, Labour Club member, University of East Anglia

Ross Speer, President, Queen Mary Stop the Cuts & NUS Delegate 2012

Ellie May, Student Councillor, London Met University SU

Imad Faghmous, NUS Black Students’ Committee & Academic Affairs Officer, Bradford University Union

Izzy John, Welfare Officer Warwick SU & NUS LGBT Committee

Neelam Rose, NUS Black Students’ Committee & Diversity Officer, Worcester University SU

Rashida Islam, Black Students’ Committee, Sheffield University SU

Lois Clifton, Ethics & Environment Officer, LSE SU

Shadia Edwards-Dashti, Stop the War Student Officer

Calum Sherwood, Co-Chair Labour Students, Bristol University SU

Tom King, Secretary Labour Club, SOAS SU

Ben Hayes, Chair Anti-cuts group, La Swap

Joshua Snape, NUS Delegate 2012, Queen Mary SU

Shabina Raja, BME Officer-Elect, Nottingham University SU

Malia Bouattia, NUS Black Students’ Committee

Rebecca Sawbridge, FE Women’s Rep, NUS Black Students’ Committee

Beverly Mettle, BME Officer, Coventry University SU & NUS Black Students’ Committee

Al Hussein Abutaleb, Black Students’ Councillor, Sheffield University SU & NUS Black Students’ Committee

Varinder Singh, NUS delegate 2012, Hertfordshire University SU

Sharareh Houshmandyar, International Students’ Officer, Bath Spa University SU

David Adley, LGBT Officer (job share), National Campaign Against Fees & Cuts

Maryam Saghir, NUS Black Students’ Committee

Ashok Kumar, NUS Black Students’ Committee

Jade Baker, NUS Women’s Committee

Nihad Ahmed, Student Rep on the Academic Board of LSE, LSE SU

Matthew Stanley, People and Planet, Midkent College

Kelly Rogers, Women’s Officer, Birmingham University Guild of Students

Ian Drummond, Campaigns Officer, Birkbeck College SU & Senator of ULU

Shelly Asquith, NUS Delegate 2012, University of the Arts SU

Kristian Bruun, NUS Delegate 2012, SOAS & NCAFC NC

Joana Pinto, NCAFC National Committee

Maham Hashmi-Khan, NUS Black Students’ Committee & BME Officer, National Campaign Against Fees & Cuts

Sherelle Davids, Anti-racism Officer, LSE SU

Fairooz Aniqa, NUS Delegate 2012, University of the Arts SU

Jamie Wareham, Harrow LGBT Officer, University of Westminster SU

Conrad Landin, Undergrad Rep on Council of Arts and Humanities, University of Cambridge

Jaswinder Kaur, NUS Delegate 2012, University of Hertfordshire SU

Gurpreet Singh, NUS Delegate 2012, University of Hertfordshire SU

Kiran Virdee, NUS Delegate 2012, University of Hertfordshire SU

Sam Browse, Chair Sheffield Student Broad Left

Suleman Salu, NUS Delegate 2012, University of Hertfordshire SU

Sebastian Chowdhury, Student Governor, Manchester College

Francesca Anderson, Officer for Students-elect, NUS delegate 2012, Lincoln University SU

Georgina Bavetta, NUS Delegate 2012, Bristol University

Samira Musa, La Swap 6th Form student

Abduttayyeb Hassanali, ULU Trustee & Heythrop College SU

Fiona Edwards, Women’s Committee, Birkbeck College SU

James Meadway, Postgraduate Students’ Officer, SOAS SU

Søren Goard, Education officer elect, Goldsmiths

Alan Borgars, NUS delegate 2012, Hertfordshire Students’ Union

Sam Playle, Queen Mary SU Research Postgraduate Rep 2012-13

Thais Yàñez, LGBT Representative & Anti Fascism Anti Racism Officer, Birkbeck Students’ Union

Edwin Clifford-Coupe, Education & Campaigns Officer-Elect, UCLU

Robin Burrett, Postgraduate Officer, LSE Students’ Union

Lukas Slothuus, Community and Welfare Officer, LSE SU

Nathan J. Bolton, President-Elect, University of Essex Students Union, 12-13

Lucy Jane Drummond, Communities Officer & NUS Delegate 2012, University of Stirling SU

Chris Page, Welfare & Rights Officer-Elect, Cambridge University Students’ Union

Aadam Siciid-Muuse, Lay-member of Union Council-elect, University of Bradford Union

Ozzy Amir, Welfare Representative-elect & NUS Delegate 2012, Queen Mary SU

Amberine Khan, Women’s Representative-elect, Queen Mary University of London SU

Sidonie Bertrand-Shelton, Gender Equality Rep and Equality & Liberation Officer-Elect, Royal Holloway Student’s Union

Ben Gliniecki, NUS Delegate 2012, Cambridge University Student Union

Bob Sutton, Vice President, Liverpool Guild of Students

The NUS’s national day of action – which NCAFC supported – has just taken place. Read the Guardian’s live blog here. 

For comment from NCAFC, ring 07964791663

Today the University of Cambridge suspended a junior member of the university until the end of 2014 for his part in a protest last November against David Willetts, government minister for Universities and Science. In a hearing that lasted six hours, the university Court of Discipline ruled that for his part in the peaceful disruption of Willetts’ speech the student would not be allowed back into the university until October 2014, and would not be allowed to use its premises. He has a right to appeal the decision in the next 28 days.

During the protest, the student read out a poem criticizing Willetts for his role in the implementation of £9000 fees and the Higher Education White Paper. He went on to condemn the minister as “a man who believes in the market and in the power of competition.”[1]

In response, over 60 dons and students wrote a ‘Spartacus’ letter to the University Advocate admitting to their role in the original protest, and demanding that they be charged for the same offence. [2] In the letter the signatories object to the fact that only one person has been prosecuted for the protest. The signatories denounce the charges as “arbitrary and wrong” pointing out that the protest was  “a collective act and that we the undersigned were all involved in it – whether directly or indirectly, actively or in a supportive capacity.”

Rees Arnott-Davies, a student at Corpus Christi College said: “this is out of all proportion. Two and a half years for an entirely legal and peaceful protest is an absolute travesty and makes me ashamed to study at this university. The idea that you can protect freedom of speech by silencing protest is the height of hypocrisy.”

In a bizarre twist to the story, it has emerged that the presiding Judge had previously upheld the right to Freedom of Speech.  Judge Colin Colston, QC, ruled that a publican whose customers simulated sex with an inflatable doll was protected from prosecution under European Human Rights legislation. [3] Judge Colston also previously acted as a character witness for a don accused of sexually assaulting a student. [4]

[1] http://www.defendeducation.co.uk/go-home-david-an-epistle-to-david-willetts

[2] http://www.defendeducation.co.uk/charge-us-all-mr-vice-chancellor-and-university-advocate-thornton

[3] http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1334383/Human-rights-invoked-over-blow-up-dolls.html

[4] http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1536305/Don-cleared-of-Benny-Hill-sex-assault.html

The National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts is calling for maximum turnout for ‘Come Clean’, the NUS day of action on March 14th.

Here’s a blogpost about what you can do on your campus on the day.

If you’re in London, assemble at ULU at 2pm. 

ASSEMBLE 2PM, UNIVERSITY OF LONDON UNION, MARCH 14TH.
“David Willetts is bringing chaos to our universities.

Under his new fee regime students will face a lifetime of debt. Despite calls from MPs to delay changes to the university admissions process, he has gone ahead with plans that will favour better off students at entry and force universities into ruthless competition for places with each other. Some universities will go to the wall as a result.

The government wants to drive down costs to make it easier for private companies to feed off public education – this is why staff are fighting to defend their pensions.

Willetts’ plans for higher education are modelled on Andrew Lansley’s plans for the NHS. So far, over 20 000 people have signed a ‘no confidence’ motion in Willetts. The withdrawal of his Higher Education Bill shows that even the government lacks confidence in him.

The National Union of Students has called for a national day of walk-outs on 14 March. This is an opportunity for staff and students to rally to the defence of our education. The government is vulnerable to pressure – now it’s time for all those who are opposed to the marketisation of education to call for Willetts to go.”

At its conference in January, NCAFC voted overwhelmingly to work with Defend the Right to Protest. We encourage supporters to get involved in their events.

“DEFEND THE RIGHT TO PROTEST PUBLIC FORUM: STAND UP FOR JUSTICE!
Monday 5th March, 7PM
Friends Meeting House,173 Euston Road.
Opposite tube: Euston Station
Facebook event: http://www.facebook.com/#!/events/242723812474501/
Speakers include: IMRAN KHAN (Campaigning Lawyer and solicitor for the Lawrence family), ALFIE MEADOWS (Student Defendant),JOHN MCDONNELL (MP), FRANK FERNIE (imprisoned protester, now free!), LIAM BURNS (NUS President), MAGGIE MITCHELL(Parent of imprisoned student), MARCIA RIGG (Sean Rigg Justice & Change Campaign), JELENA TIMOTIJEVIC (DTRTP), ROB EVANS(Guardian Journalist) and OCCUPY LSX SPEAKER (On recent eviction).

Political protests are under attack. Over the last 18 months this has meant violent police tactics as well as disproportionate sentencing by the courts with the intention of deterring people from demonstrating.

JUSTICE FOR ALFIE

Those who have suffered include student protester, Alfie Meadows.

He was injured so badly by police during a 30,000 strong demonstration against fees that he had to undergo emergency brain surgery to save his life.

Yet incredibly Alfie has been charged with violent disorder – an offence which carries a sentence of up to five years in prison. His trial begins on Monday 26th March.

Meanwhile police officers who attacked students are yet to face any charges.

Protesters are rushed through the courts, yet it took three years for the police officer involved in the death of Ian Tomlinson during the G20 protests to be charged – and he is yet to stand trial.

The family of Stephen Lawrence had to wait more than 18 years before any of their son’s killers were sentenced – a fight their solicitor Imran Khan will speak about at our meeting on Monday, 5th March.

Find out how you can help with the Justice for Alfie Meadows Campaign: http://www.defendtherighttoprotest.org/justice-for-alfie-meadows/
DEATHS IN POLICE CUSTODY

There have been 940 deaths in police custody since 1990. Yet there has not been a single successful prosecution, leaving people like Marcia Rigg – whose brother died in police custody – still fighting for justice.

Come and discuss at our meeting on Monday 5th March, how we can support Alfie Meadows and others fighting for justice and see our website for more information on how to get involved: www.defendtherighttoprotest.org

SIGN THE PETITION

We call for an end to political charging and sentencing of protesters – Drop the charges against Alfie Meadows immediately.

Signatories include: Tariq Ali, Gigi Ibrahim (Egyptian activist and blogger), John McDonnell (MP), Mark Serwotka (PCS General Secretary), Ken Loach (Film Director), Caroline Lucas (MP), Ken Fero (Injustice Film Director), Liam Burns (NUS President), Zita Holbourne (PCS NEC), Mark Thomas (Comedian), Jody McIntyre (Journalist and Equality Movement Activist) and UKUNCUT.

Sign here: http://t.co/4daHLlp1
ATTEND THE DEMONSTRATION OUTSIDE ALFIE MEADOW’S TRIAL
In support of Alfie Meadows we are asking you to come and demonstrate outside Kingston Crown Court on the first day of Alfie’s trial on Monday 26th March, 9AM. Please bring SU, TU banners, friends and colleagues.

Facebook event: http://www.facebook.com/#!/events/270548723014910/”