10,000 students from across the country demonstrated in London today on the national demonstration against cuts to education and public services organised by the NCAFC. [Read more...]
10,000 demonstrators kick start student fightback
November 9, 2011 By 4 Comments
Students plan fresh wave of mass protest
September 16, 2011 By 4 Comments
See the full Guardian report by clicking here.
Contact: 07964791663
This letter will be published in the Guardian tomorrow, 17/09/11
As student campaigners, we fully support the trade union movement’s campaign against austerity, including the biggest wave of strike action since 1926. The government’s plans for universities represent a threat to the very purpose of education, with the poor being priced out of a marketised system of private providers, while school and FE students are being robbed of basic support. The National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts has now called a national education demonstration for Wednesday November 9th, and we will organise for a day of mass direct action and walkouts to coincide with the strike. We will not allow this government to abolish the welfare state and destroy our futures.
Michael Chessum, National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts and NUS NEC
Maev McDaid, Liverpool Guild of Students President
Luke Durigan, UCL Union Education and Campaigns Officer
Daniel Lemberger-Cooper, Royal Holloway Students’ Union President, NCAFC National Committee
Claire Locke, London Met Students’ Union President
James Haywood, Goldsmith’s Students’ Union President
Edward Bauer, Birmingham Guild Education Officer and NCAFC National Committee
Sean Rillo Raczka, University of London Union Vice President
Alusine Alpha, Bradford Students’ Union Treasurer and NCAFC National Committee
Mike Williamson, Edinburgh Students’ Association Education Officer
Alan Bailey, NUS LGBT Officer (Open Place)
Matthew Bond, NUS Disabled Students’ Campaign and NEC and NCAFC National Committee
Alex Peters-Day, LSE Students’ Union General Secretary
Liam Turbett, Aiden Turner and Liam McCombes, Free Hetherington Glasgow Occupation
James McAsh, NCAFC National Committee, Edinburgh University
Shakira Akther, University of East London Vice President Campaigns
Gordon Maloney, NCAFC National Committee and NUS Scotland Executive
Bob Sutton, Liverpool Guild of Students Vice President and NCAFC National Committee
Aaron Peters, NCAFC National Committee
Claire Lister, NCAFC National Committee, Birmingham University
Alasdair Thompson, STUC Youth Committee and NCAFC National Committee
Alice Swift, NCAFC National Committee, Birmingham University
Arianna Tassinari, SOAS Students’ Union Co-President for Education and Welfare
Amena Amer, LSE Students’ Union Education Officer
Edward Maltby, NCAFC National Committee, London
Lukas Slothuus, LSE Students’ Union Welfare and Community Officer
Noam Chomsky supports Aberystwyth occupiers
March 5, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Occupiers at Aberyswyth University have received a message of solidarity from Noam Chomsky. Aberystwyth University went into occupation on February 22nd in protest against the ongoing marketisation of higher education in the UK and the lack of transparency and political engagement of senior management at Aberystwyth University specifically. The full message can be read below:
“The attack on public education in the US and UK — higher education in particular — may bring short-term benefits to small sectors of concentrated wealth and power, but it is a very serious blow to the population at large, and to prospects for a decent society in the future. The protestors [sic] in Aberystwyth — like those in Tahrir Square, Madison Wisconsin, and many other parts of the world — are in the forefront of global struggles for basic rights, freedom, and democracy, and merit full and committed support.”
http://aberoccupied.blogspot.com/
Fb: Occupied Aberystwyth
Aber Students Against Cuts
Solidarity from students in Bulgaria
December 20, 2010 By 1 Comment
A letter of support for British students fighting government policy to increase tuition fees has been issued by Bulgarian student group Studenski Glas.
The letter was posted through the International Students’ Movement, a global network of students fighting for free and emancipatory education.
It reads as follows:
Dear friends, We have been following the current situation in the UK with great interest and we sincerely admire your unity and purposefulness in the fight against tuition fee raises and the privatization of education. We would like to express our support for this endeavor. Your unfaltering and resolute actions against government policies in the field of education inspire us to continue our own fight with even more determined steps. We are facing issues similar to your own. Currently serious cut-backs in education system finance, enforcements of private interests and criminal violation of university autonomy have been undertaken. Many institutions of higher education in Bulgaria have been forced to shut down for the winter months due to a lack of finance. Gradually the student body here began displaying our discontentment – we have organized a few protests against the government’s lunacy, but as yet without significant results. In January we plan to renew the protests and we feel ready to take more radical action in our efforts to achieve our common goal. We, the students of Bulgaria, would like to declare our solidarity with you and your struggle. We would be happy to stay in contact with you in the future. In solidarity, Students’ Organization Studentski Glas, Bulgaria www.studentskiglas.org Скъпи приятели,Следим с голям интерес ситуацията във Великобритания в момента и се възхищаваме на вашата единност и целеустременост в борбата ви срещу увеличаването на таксите за обучение и приватизацията на образованието. Искаме да изкажем нашата подкрепа в това начинание. Непоколебимите ви и решителни действия срещу правителствената политика в сферата на образованието ни окуражава да продължим нашата собствена борба с още по-решителни стъпки. Ние сме изправени пред подобни на вашите проблеми. В момента в България тече процес на тежки орязвания на финансите в образователната система, налагане на частните интереси и престъпно погазване на университетската автономия. Много български висши училища са принудени да затворят врати за зимните месаеци поради липса на финансови средства. Постепенно и тук започна да се надига студентското недоволство - организирахме няколко протеста срещу правителствените безумия, но засега без особени резултати. През януари месец ще възобновим протестните действия като сме готови на по-радикални мерки за постигане на общата ни цел. Ние, българските студенти, искаме да заявим солидарността си с вас и вашата борба! Вашата непримиримост и самоотверженост могат да ни служат само за пример. Ще се радваме да осъществим трайни контакти занапред. Студентска организация „Студентски глас”, България www.studentskiglas.org
NCAFC receives the letter gratefully and reciprocates its message of international solidarity. Victory to Bulgaria’s students!
Solidarity from Pakistan
December 16, 2010 By Leave a Comment
The last seven months have seen intense protests in the Punjab region of Pakistan with police attacking and arresting students fighting the privatisation of colleges, and fees rising as much as eight times higher (sound familiar?)
Back in 2003 wholesale privatisation of public services by the General Musharraf dictatorship was beaten back by a mass movement, but now the government are having another go, at first attacking colleges one by one – now privatising them hundreds at a time.
Shehzad from the city of Lahore said students in Pakistan have been inspired by images of the British student movement reaching Pakistan, and in the face of extreme brutality by police and security services, they’ve been spurred on to fight even harder until they win.
Shehzad sent us this letter:
Dear NCAFC
Students in Punjab, Pakistan are also fighting against the cuts that the government is making.
The growing movement in Britain is very inspiring for us – particularly the occupations, and the occupation of the Tory party HQ! We think these are the kinds of methods we need to use in Pakistan too – this is the way to win!
We are struggling because capitalism all over the world is in crisis and the rich want to make the poor pay for it.
Students all over the world need to unite, organise internationally against the attacks of all our governments together.
Solidarity!
Shehzad, Punjab
***
Dear students of the Punjab province,
It too gives us great confidence to hear about the struggles happening in Pakistan, particularly the bravery of students and teachers facing the Punjabi police force.
The attacks in Pakistan – the privatisation of colleges into institutions that are run for profit and only affordable for the rich is a story we strongly identify with.
The Tory government here are attacking the very idea that education is a force for good and want to transform it into being only a provider of trainees for big business.
Many students in Britain are furious that whilst our government claim they have no money to fund learning, they have spent many billions on the so-called “war on terror” that has led to so many lives being lost in Pakistan and elsewhere.
Let’s unite together and fight for education!
NCAFC
National demonstration – 29 January 2011, London
December 15, 2010 By 60 Comments
The first parliamentary vote might have gone through, but this is not the end! That is why, in the absence of action by NUS, the National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts has called a second national demonstration in London, on Saturday 29 January. [Read more...]
NCAFC national meeting, 11am, Friday 10th, London
December 8, 2010 By 5 Comments
The morning after the big demonstration, supporters of the National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts need to get together to discuss the next steps for our movement. [Read more...]
As we protest in our thousands tomorrow, Italian students will be doing the same
November 29, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Italian student organisation, Uniriot, will be updating us on the events that are happening in Italy on their day of action tomorrow!
Please check out what’s going on, as well as what’s happening in Britain all across the country.
French students protest in front of British Embassy in support of our struggle
November 19, 2010 By 6 Comments
French students demonstrate in solidarity with our struggle!
November 16, 2010 By 7 Comments
At the high point of French workers’ and students’ struggle against Sarkozy’s pensions reforms earlier in November, we protested outside the French embassy in London in solidarity with them. Now we read that French student activists are doing the same for us (see here). Long live international solidarity! [Read more...]
