November 30th day of action against cuts and fees

Slightly modified chant as seen on Twitter:

'Snow ifs, snow buts, snow education cuts!'

I think it's going to be a big day...

let's go!

Good luck to all protesting today - see you on the other side!

Which might be a long time if you're at an occupation that then gets snowed in!

Guardian liveblog (http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/blog/2010/nov/30/student-protests-live-coverage) is reporting that Aaron Porter has already gone back on his promise to provide legal aid to student occupations (The post for 9:56)

Just back from our wee morning picket at Uni of Glos. The response to the banner and fliers was easily the best I've experienced in Cheltenham and a lot of students said they were planning to join the protest (which here is on the 8th December for some reason). Security were summoned to remove our banner on order of the campus manager; they were quite apologetic about it but I think their jobs are very vulnerable just now. All in all, it was a bit lame but we shifted our leaflets and got a decent response from colleagues and from the students.

Early snippets:

Sheffield uni demo subject to section 14 order. Cops attempting to limit demo outside Clegg's constituency office to 100 people.

Leeds marchers being kettled with cops in front and vans behind, first arrest of the day after an early scuffle.

Liverpool: 14 police vans reported at the train station, presumably to cut the demo in two?

Brighton cops are planning to use emergency "child protection" orders to haul kids out of the marches - a followup to their "we can't be expected not to smack you about if you're in our way" release to the BBC yesterday.

In related news, Fitwatch have outed various members of the Top Shop flashmob as undercover cops.

Also, wonder what "operational reasons" refers to? Shurely police don't mind a few civilian eyes in the sky, seeing as how they're the good guys?

Cheney school students (Oxford) over 16 wanting to join today's day of action against the rise in tuition fees have been locked in the school grounds. They are planning to protest in the school against fees, cuts to EMA and their political detention.

Please send (text) messages of support to Chloe c/o 07792422574

Julie

From Twitter:

University of Nottingham great hall occupied against cuts and fees. Please RT! #dayx2 #solidarity #demo2010

BBC News just reported protesters in Trafalgar Sq. have legged it down Whitehall an hour earlier than planned, presumably to avoid getting kettled. I'm off to first demo in Brum, will let you know how it goes...

Kings' College London has also just occupied, apparently:

"King's College London have occupied against the coalition's proposed rise in student fees and cuts to EMA. We have taken a lovely lecture theatre and are sitting peacefully through a very long maths lecture so as not to disrupt anyone's education. Join us!"

Beeb are confused by a lack of people at the site of the "strong police cordon"

Auto

Cheney school students (Oxford) over 16 wanting to join today's day of action against the rise in tuition fees have been locked in the school grounds. They are planning to protest in the school against fees, cuts to EMA and their political detention.

What's the legal position on this? Do schools have the right to stop over 16s leaving the premises?

BBC reporter: "It's a cat and mouse game, the police seem to have lost control, the protesters left an hour early - we have heard of some scuffles"

Sky News reporting another police van left in middle of protests, with complaints of "red rag to a bull"

UCL occupation demonstrators have been rugby tackled into railings outside Westminster Abbey.

Protestors have effectively blocked the public entrance to Scottish Parliament and there's a mini-occupation on at Edinburgh Uni lecture theatre:

Minor scuffles in Liverpool.

Bristol: Police have sent in the horses and are chasing protesters with them.

London: Snowballs flying, apparently hitting a couple of the Fit. Picadilly apparently brought to a standstill?

Liverpool: Attempt at kettling from police, some shoving but nothing major? Mostly at a standstill, smaller numbers than last time. However, uni roof has just been occupied for a banner drop.

Also worryingly there's a report that troops are being brought in as backup for the cops, in blue baseball caps - though that may just be rumours...

Rob Ray

BBC reporter: "It's a cat and mouse game, the police seem to have lost control, the protesters left an hour early - we have heard of some scuffles"

stay out of the kettle

Occupation at university of nottingham

http://nottssos.org.uk/2010/11/30/nottingham-students-are-in-occupation-university-of-nottingham-great-hall-30th-november-2010/

Edinburgh parliament being pelted with snowballs :D

NCAFC letter just got read out on the Beeb as an authoritative voice of the students - reasonably well-written mind.

Liverpool demo is ending, was largely cordoned and controlled by police throughout, according to various twitter posters.

Demo reaches 1,000-strong outside Clegg's offices in Sheffield - that 100-people limit clearly didn't work then...

Interesting, that NCAFC letter mentions they'd provided "all possible" information and help to the Met which was why they got irritated about the attempted kettle - missed that bit.

BBC - "students cause chaos around Italy in cuts protest"

500 and growing in Brighton. Anarchists handing out bust cards with legal advice and notes on civil disobedience, Trots handing out 'come to our meeting' :D

ITN - video from Manchester

Slade School of Art has been Occupied.

http://london.indymedia.org/articles/6188

Rumours on Twitter than the Nottingham Occupation has had its internet cut.

"Occupation of majorie arnold an ziff building on leeds uni campus. Staff being evacuated now. #dayx2 #leedsmarch #demo2010"

"edactivistnet Students have occupied part of Queens University in support of free education. #demo2010 #dayx2"

Oxfordshire students pour into County hall:

http://s3.amazonaws.com/twitpic/photos/large/200933226.jpg?AWSAccessKeyId=0ZRYP5X5F6FSMBCCSE82&Expires=1291130889&Signature=%2FAiv7FeQCNGQFQVcVaZWkhfV67c%3D

Sheffield Uni now in Occupation

"Andypi2_normal Andy__Hill RT @edactivistnet: Sheffield Uni now in occupation #demo2010 #dayx2"

RUMOUR on Twitter that students have blocked the M32:

"Apparently students have blocked the M32. Time for the great siege of Bristol? #dayx2 #demo2010"

Oxford invasion of County Hall is now an occupation.

Also:

@JustAnonPG @AdamGabbatt Leeds students charge Students Services bldg housing VCs office. Police on scene, some still inside. #demo2010

@violetmaze Liverpool : march banned but people broke through.road and rooftop sitins.kettling now in liverpool 1 . #nocuts #dayx2 #dayx#demo2010

• @DavidWeeble All #peaceful still. People in windows supporting us. Huge crowd. 100s @BrightonArgusJo #demo2010

• @Rumaanah I would like to make it very clear that there is NO and was NOT any violence between the protesters and police. #DEMO2010 #Birmingham

police uses teargas against students in Roma/Italy: http://www.uniriot.org/uniriotII/ ... would be great if somebody with more than a rudimentary knowledge of Italian could have a look at that page

http://www.leedsmet.ac.uk/news/media_centre_5760098712B440CBA738EB1F70E65241.htm

Leeds Met and Student Union issue official joint statement. Looks like the've come out against the education reforms.

Rumour on twitter of batons being drawn against schoolkids in Oxford.

Has the kettle been broken or has it been opened by police? Getting conflicting reports.

Comrades
Who reported that 14 police vans seen at Liverpool Lime street (in order to cut the demo in two) absolutley correct. Just left the cancelled dem o(around 400) and after a semi- kettling for around one and a half hours, the demo is now dispersed.
After speeches from NUS wannerbe bureacrats and Liverpool Trades Council, the demo set off from the student Guild building with 'peaceful protest' and democracy ringing in our ears.At the south side exit a cordon of police (30 or so strong) physically prevented an exit, guarding a gateway out., The demo surged forward and some escaped through the police lines the rest was prevented from passing. We looked behind us an there was a cordon of police and my first thoughts was that we had been kettled. After negociation with the NUS the police informed us that they were not allowing a demo but thought that it was just a meeting, ergo no march.They kept us there for around an hour and we had assurances from the NUS that a march was on the agenda. The police were completely adamant that there would be no march and I heard one copper saying that "you'll get cold and get fed up" One NUS rep on the other side of the gates with a megaphone was arrested esentially for being mouthy on the megaphone although to give him his due he was trying to block traffic.
The remainder of the demo, blocked in dwindled away and around 60 were left, we marched back past the Guild and were prevented from leaving the campus by a police cordon. We then had some information by a NUS rep who also asked did anyone want to try and speak, I spoke on the fact that our wonderful democracy and peaceful attitude had led to the essential sabatage of the demo, a bear faced fact (at this point there were more police that demonstrators.)

It was a very well organised police operation which sliced up the demo in two, make no mistake that the police had organised this well, and that we can expect more of the same. I dont know if there had been an organising cock-up by the NUS or that the police had just decided that the march was not going to happen, probably the later.

There is to be a joint demo of the NUS and the unions (Liverpool Trades Council) early in
in December.

Interesting point, the occupation of Slade Art School (part of the UCL - so that's two autonomous occupations in the same university) is made up of both students AND staff.

From Twitter:

"Students are occupying at Kingston University #demo2010 #dayx2"

"RT @fatcouncillor: "@nomoregames Students have taken the multi-storey car park at Hove Town Hall #DayX #dayx2" Speechless..."

Getting word of occupations at St Andrews, Strathclyde, Aberdeen...

Also Glasgow as well.

Auto

Sheffield Uni now in Occupation

"Andypi2_normal Andy__Hill RT @edactivistnet: Sheffield Uni now in occupation #demo2010 #dayx2"

apparently the richard roberts building is being occupied by about 300 people

"RT @Fitwatcher: Students have occupied lloyds tsb business bank in Cardiff #demo2010 #dayx2"

"HuddsAnarchists sit in at bradford uni after leaving protest inside bradford college #demo2010 #dayx2"

Reports of tasers being used by police in Brighton!! Can any of the Brighton lot confirm this?

Ed

Reports of tasers being used by police in Brighton!! Can any of the Brighton lot confirm this?

The cops say no, twice: http://twitter.com/CInspTaylor
Seems to originate from here: http://twitter.com/brightonnocuts
Not seen anyone else say this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eeI3atyE_ng

Slideshow video of the Oxford demonstration/occupation of County Hall.

Spread it around, if you can.

From Cardiff:

"RT @CDFUniOccupied: Students have occupied Natwest, Lloyds TSB and Vodaphone today, all closed. Student Council meeting later! #dayx2 #solidarity"

From Nottingham:

"DarkesTAngeL31 RT @nsafc: Internet is fixed thanks to the support of Notts Save our Services! Photos and more info coming soon. #solidarity #dayx2 #uonoccupation"

Nice bit of solidarity action between students and the local community there.

Interview with David, part of group of '150 students' occupying Nottingham University

Video of police arresting a lecturer in Manchester..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECb2a3mqdOA

"JamesABolton York #solidarity occupying bridge over the Ouse, traffic at a standstill #dayx2 @UCLOccupation http://yfrog.com/ngei00j"

Cheney school students (Oxford) over 16 wanting to join today's day of action against the rise in tuition fees have been locked in the school grounds. They are planning to protest in the school against fees, cuts to EMA and their political detention.

Please send (text) messages of support to Chloe c/o 07792422574

What's the situation here? Texts still needed?

Central London; 12 noon around 5,000(?) gathered in Trafalgar Sq. with very few cops visible. Approx 10 mins later crowd moved off down Whitehall - line of cops quickly blocked street. (Lots of cops deployed, sited in various side streets throughout city centre.) Crowd reversed, went down The Mall and across St Jame's Park, then gradually dispersed in smaller groups in various directions; 300 outside Parliament, others to Piccadilly, Buck Palace, The Strand, St Paul's etc. For rest of day until now students and school students in roaming groups of various sizes criss-crossing the West End, staying mobile, dispersing and reforming, trailed by cops through the heavy snow. Considerable disruption of traffic flow through central London.

Bristol: After the main student demo was cattled at Uni of Bristol campus, there were small clashes between mostly black youth from colleges and the police. They charged the crowd of few hundreds youth with horses on Woodland Road at the Uni. I hope someone will put up a video showing it all on youtube. The youth were incredibly brave, throwing stones, bottles and smoke bombs on cops. Unfortunately the crowd got more and more fragmented by new cops arriving from the side streets. After about an hour the people were all cattled in about three (?) groups and the rest of us dispersed at about 3.30pm.
A great moment was when a big chunk of people escaped from the main cattle earlier in the afternoon, using a rope. People bound one end around a tree and rolled out the rest, stood behind it and then ran with the rope through the police line.
I have seen four arrests but have heard that 10 people were arrested, some of them 14, 15 years old. The movement needs to improve its protection, including dearresting, having 'informers' to watch our backs and thinking about blocking the access roads to reduce the chance of kettling in.

no1

Ed

Reports of tasers being used by police in Brighton!! Can any of the Brighton lot confirm this?

The cops say no, twice: http://twitter.com/CInspTaylor
Seems to originate from here: http://twitter.com/brightonnocuts
Not seen anyone else say this.

Sources on the march didn't see tasers being used, and think it's very unlikely because there hasn't really been a situation in which cops would have had to.

Red Marriott

Central London; 12 noon around 5,000(?) gathered in Trafalgar Sq. with very few cops visible. Approx 10 mins later crowd moved off down Whitehall - line of cops quickly blocked street. (Lots of cops deployed, sited in various side streets throughout city centre.) Crowd reversed, went down The Mall and across St Jame's Park, then gradually dispersed in smaller groups in various directions; 300 outside Parliament, others to Piccadilly, Buck Palace, The Strand, St Paul's etc. For rest of day until now students and school students in roaming groups of various sizes criss-crossing the West End, staying mobile, dispersing and reforming, trailed by cops through the heavy snow. Considerable disruption of traffic flow through central London.

This tallies with what I heard and saw.

Apparently it had been agreed with the police that they were going to be allowed to march down Whitehall to Parliament Square. However when they started a police line formed across Whitehall and the crowd reversed and broke up into different groups.

I saw a couple of hundred in Trafalgar Square around 3 p.m., quite boisterous atmosphere, burning of placards, few fireworks exploding, looked like mostly schoolkids, quite a few with masks on. They were blocked in by riot police.

Soon a few hundred more marched into the square, escorted by loads more police, set off some flares, had some speeches, chanting "one solution revolution" and fist waving. Looks like the police plan was to escort all roaming groups of protesters back into Trafalgar Square and kettle everyone. At this point I decided to leave, which was tricky as people were not being let out of the square. I found one exit where the police let me walk through, but they wouldn't let people who looked like they had been on the demonstration through. As I was leaving another group of about 100 kids was being marched up completely surrounded by about 150 riot police into the square.

The dispersing was bad from the point of view of making numbers look smaller, but seems like maybe quite a lot of disruption was caused.

Calderdale

Cambridge

Cardiff

Chippenham

Edinburgh

Leeds

Oxford

Southampton

Taunton

Warwick

York

Just got back from Oxford stuff. Was quality. 90% were school students, well over 500 in total at peak, but more joined in from public and I'd guess more like 1000 took part over the day. Briefly occupied County Hall (saw an anarchist - circled A - flag being flown inside by one school student), then Barclays, Lloyds were occupied as well. All banks shut down. People went marching through shopping centres, militant mood. Some nasty police stuff, batons, pushing and police horses pushing through people, led to lots of 'fuck the police' shouts.
Just quickly, Cheney students did get out and join the protest - hundreds of them!
I'm buzzing with energy, will write this into a more detailed and coherent news article in now.
The quote that sums it up was one guy saying: "We can do whatever the fuck we want".
School kids have formed a network that meets in Oxford with people from loads of schools

This is the list of demands that were given by the Oxford county hall occupiers.

* The closing of 20 Oxfordshire youth centres be reviewed.
* The "building schools for the future" programme be reinstated.
* The "aim higher" programme be reinstated.
* Higher education tuition fees be scrapped.
* EMA to be maintained as it is.
* Teacher funding be maintained as it is.
* Police forces around the country stop the use of intimidation and violence against peaceful students.
* The Metropolitan Police issue a public apology for the events of 24/11/10 in London.
* Nick Clegg to personally visit Oxford and negotiate with J.P.G (Joint Protest Group Oxford - as far as I am aware this is a loose coalition of different protestors).
* We demand that we are let out peacefully by the Police.

Interesting, Auto, hadn't seen those before. It's very reformist, unsurprisingly. They were only in for 15 minutes probably, so must have been pre-written. The Joint Protest Group - who will have pre-prepared those demands - is just school students - there are representatives from a load of different schools.
This is a tricky line to draw and I can't see it clearly, but the more political, generally liberal, and 'middle class' (I hate to use that term, especially as I'm from a poor household, single mum with shit job and pay, etc. but by most would be called middle class - but hopefully it's useful here meant in the cultural sense) are involved with the Joint Protest Group. The bulk of the protest today was by people not at all in that category

I think the most interesting thing is the number of young people involved who aren't 'political' yet are being energised to organise and take action. It's amazing to see. Hopefully things keep up!

Also, does anyone have a list of the new university occupations (with websites/emails/etc) that began today? Trying to keep track of them all.

Cheers.

The new age of student protest - Guardian report about the occupations at Leeds, Cambridge, Newcastle and UCL

Video from the UCL occupation

Guardian report from London

Guardian round-up of the days protests

The scale and reach of this month's student protests have shocked the authorities, who fear that mobilisation against government's austerity cuts could spread. Riot police were called to Lewisham town hall on Monday night when 100 protesters in the London borough tried to force their way into a meeting where councillors were voting to cut the budget by £60m. Police said arrests were made and several officers received minor injuries. The same protest groups are expected to focus on a council meeting in Camden, north London, tomorrow.

Telegraph photo round-up

The Conservative leader of the local authority [Oxford], Keith Mitchell, said via a tweet: "County Hall invaded by an ugly, badly-dressed student rabble. God help us if this is our future."

He can fuck off, we're beautiful. I googled pictures of him, but actually I quite like the way he looks :(

I will write up a report of Oxford today tomorrow and put it on here.

An ill-advised statement, going by the feeling among the protestors.

So what do people think the day went more generally?

Noticed from some of the pictures in London a load of coppers in sky-blue baseball caps (one of whom was lashing out pretty freely with his fists on the TV footage). Am I right in thinking that 'coppers' wearing the same headgear in Manchester were actually troops seconded to police duties? Were the blue-capped thugs in London soldiers too? Was that what Supt. Paul Broadsword was warning the kids about the other day?

they were just police with baseball caps on. I don't know where the rumour about soldiers came from but it seems pretty silly.

wow, that sucks about Trafalgar Square. Although unfortunately I'm not surprised, it looked like that's what they were planning, I phoned people still in the square after I left warning them.

Just been looking round Facebook, and it is so strange (but also awesome) to see all the comments and participation from people who are/were so obviously pretty apolitical kids. A comment today on an event page from a cute teenage girl with no political stuff on her profile [ no paedo] was: "We need loooaaaads of people to come otherwise the feds will overpower us like they did today"

Timeline of today's events in London on indymedia

Auto

Slade School of Art has been Occupied.

http://london.indymedia.org/articles/6188

https://sladeoccupation.wordpress.com/?kalvis.com

THE OCCUPATION OF THE SLADE SCHOOL OF FINE ART We believe that the current proposed cuts to university funding threaten the existence of arts and humanities education in England and Wales. It is for this reason that we have made the decision to occupy the Slade School of Art building. We demand that the government provide the same protection for arts and humanities in universities as is provided for the sciences. We vehemently oppose the transformation of the university system into market based model; education should be a public debate, not a private economy. Therefore we the students of the Slade are offering a space for the assembly of all art colleges in England in order to organise non-violent direct action against what we view as an attack by the government on the arts. This is not a virtual exchange, this is a physical assembly. We are demonstrating the value of physical space for art education through the continuation of our day-to-day activity, as well as by inviting other colleges to participate in open events, lectures and workshops. Our occupation is not designed to be disruptive, nor will it engender any damage to the building. Rather, we want to highlight the value of intellectual and cultural exchange within art courses. This is not a boycott, it is an act of support. As well as fully supporting the demands of the existing UCL occupation of the Jeremy Bentham Room, the staff and students of the Slade School of Fine Art demand the following from UCL: A statement from the UCL provost condemning the cuts to arts and humanities courses and stating the intrinsic value of these courses within higher education. A statement from the UCL provost guaranteeing the protection of the Slade’s courses as they are. This means preserving the current staff to student ratio, protecting facilities and space and continuing funding for visiting lecturers. A statement from the UCL provost guaranteeing the survival and continued funding of all other humanities courses within UCL. Free access in and out of the building 24 hours for all students, peers and speakers for the duration of the occupation. Ensure no victimisation or repercussions for anyone participating in the occupation.

Auto

From Nottingham:

"DarkesTAngeL31 RT @nsafc: Internet is fixed thanks to the support of Notts Save our Services! Photos and more info coming soon. #solidarity #dayx2 #uonoccupation"

Nice bit of solidarity action between students and the local community there.

Yes. Notts SOS was invited and spoke at university meeting last week where occupation was mooted. Students are participating in Notts SOS meetings. Staff have been involved with occupation (which is ongoing). So there is good communication. The local anti-cuts campaign is trying to link up everyone, in spite of trot sectionalism which is actually worse on campus than in the local campaign!

Keep an eye on http://nottssos.org.uk for developments in Nottingham.

The demo itself was not as large as last week, about 300., but did included more 5th form schools pupils . Marched form the college into the centre of town and had a rally/meeting. People were asked to speak and some did. Then marched back again (much reduced in size by then) not sure what happened after that.
Spirit was not as exuberant as last week, but still pretty high and defiant , may be a certain sense of we have done this once already what next. Someone said to his friend "Why are we allowing ourselves to be herded like sheep". The main 'organisor' appears to be one young guy with the backing of the Anti-Cuts Alliance, but overwhelmingly those participating were not passively allowing themselves to be organised but at the moment are not sure what else they can do. But to give the guy his due he did offer the microphone to those who wanted to speak. Many home made banners, including one saying: "The rich get richer and the rest are f..,ked" One of the people who made the banner spoke at the rally making the same point which got a good reception.
An unpleasant tone entered into the situation when one speaker said about the government giving money to Ireland, when it could have been used to pay for EMA etc. There was a large boo in support probably not meant to be anti-Irish but against the cuts, some young people near me were uneasy about this response and one said that is racist isn't. This response ties up with the way the media have covered this loan. But then a very angry young person got up and denounced rich politicians and this got a good cheer .
Those participating were still keen to take leaflets, and the idea of self-organisation certainly appeared to rang a bell .
The impression I got was a sense of what next? What can we do now? But also a real determination to stand up to this attack.,

The Channel 4 news lead with film of light blue capped police punching out at students. One unfortunate lad feeling the long arm of the law in his face! The police appeared to 'lose it' for a moment or two.

one de-arrest caught by the BBC: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-11878523

Thought the demo in London yesterday was mint. The manic "turn left, turn right, go back" decision making at the front meant the Benny Hill coppers were on their toes for the entire time as was everyone else. Got a lot of cars beeping in support despite the roads being blocked. Couple of attempts at kettling were broken through. Best bit of the day was having a sit down thinking it was all finished having seen some get kettled by Embankment, only for a different crowd to come down the street shouting "Whose streets? Our streets". The restraint shown was very impressive especially as we passed incredibly alluring targets like a flagstore Topshop and Scotland Yard.

This video from the Guardian actually made for really interesting watching!

Particularly the random dude in his car who starts talking about the proletariat!

Would people agree that yesterday was generally smaller than a week ago?

Due to weather? Better organised school lock-ins? There's a need to find something new?

posi

Would people agree that yesterday was generally smaller than a week ago?

Due to weather? Better organised school lock-ins? There's a need to find something new?

I think the London one was smaller, but I don't know about elsewhere (the Oxford one was pretty big relative to the size of the city). I think a lot of it could have been snow (especially for those travelling in to a protest from a distance). I don't think that there's been a flagging of energy though, as all the previously apolitical kids are still heavily involved (and you're not being left with a rump of politicos, which is what I'd expect if things were dying off).

All in all, I think that even though it was perhaps smaller than previous demos, they were perhaps more effective as a learning process.

Although as I was sadly at work yesterday, this is all just conjecture on my part.

He was very good. Also the young guy at the very end talking about workers and students together. Also interesting to see the guy whose 14 year old had been kettled last week for 7 hours joining the demo.. How many other parents joined in because of the kettling last week.
Meet what must have been one of the youngest protesters yesterday: a beautiful 7 week old girl: Ursula. Mum felt it wold be safer down here than London.

I think that there is probably a ebb and flow in different parts of the country. Speaking to a comrade in the Midlands last nigh, he felt that things were just starting to get going there. Whilst down here there was less people. But this is probably the way things will be. Xmas is going to make a big difference. What happens after will be interesting
Posi may have touched another element as well: the feeling of the need for something new, what next.

EDIT: just to make it clear I'm not the comrade from the Midlands that Ernie is referring to.

Well, where I am, things are pretty odd; no demo at my uni yesterday, they're demonstrating today at the residential campus. I say 'they' as I don't live there, I'm in town, and the halls are out in the 'burbs. There's no opportunity to occupy anything / EDIT - apparently there's a plan to 'visit' the local MP's offices - how friendly they'll be is as yet unknown - END EDIT / and no perspective of linking up with other people angry about the cuts. It's totally isolated both from the town, and also from the sizable number of students who don't live in halls. Oh, and the protest has been organised by the NUS.

The other uni in town (which is more central to town and also more centralised in terms of where the students actually live) is also quiet. I tried to find anything happening yesterday and give out some leaflets but there seemed to be little interest. No-one seemed to know it was a national day of action. Even the ubiquitous Socialist Students and Socialist Workers posses that hang out near the Student Union had disappeared, possibly to go to real actions in more exciting cities.

Does anyone have any confirmation of the bailiffs at UCL? Twitter is filled with messages saying that the bailiffs are there as well as that it's a false alarm.

"@uweagainstcuts we've been told we have to leave... Seems safe for now."

Watching the demo's on the TV news channels from my flu-ridden bed, I had quite a few chuckles at the states expense, seeing the old bill playing catch-up on Horse Guards Parade, and hearing one student chanting 'bourgeoisie TV' at a Sky reporter was most excellent-that and the fact that a number of the press got a bit of a chastising from those ketteled...(And quite right too, because the blatant, casual assaults by cops on the students-punches in the face, shield abuse-was passed over by the journo-scum). The fact that there were lower numbers yesterday is made up for by self-evident ability of the student movement to rapidly change tactics to avoid repression-The Police being given the run-around for very many hours was and is heartening to an old @ who helped pioneer those tactics on Stop the City demos in the early eighties...

Bristol was possibly bigger than last week - if you go by Facebook, 700 or so more people had rsvped (including Avon & Somerset Police). 2,000 was one report, it could have been more. A higher proportion of school & college students, including kid in a balaclava who looked about 12. At least one school who had been locked in by teachers last week were out this week. As in Brighton, anarchists were handing out legal info / bust cards.

There was heaps of energy - the march moved quickly in ever widening circles for over 3 straight hours, keeping out of the way of police & occasionally breaking through lines. (Though not the line guarding the M32.) This caused traffic chaos which in turn helped stop the police from being able to move their vans around to contain the demo.

We went through Cabot Circus & the mall a few times & stopped for a quick break in the middle of the shopping area - I think partly on the assumption that it was a safe place to stop because they wouldn't want to kettle a rowdy crowd in the middle of a bunch of expensive shops.

There was a brief attempt to get into a Vodafone shop. Police got pelted with mustard from the German Christmas markets. There were a couple of pretty half-arsed attempts to occupy the council house & the administrative centre of the University of Bristol. Snowballs were thrown at cops & at horses (who really don't like them).

The march got kettled up in Bristol Uni at the end, though a good portion saw it coming & got out before it formed, more jumped out through hedges & some got out with a rope, as reported above.

Police did cavalry style horse charges into a loose crowd outside the kettle - it really looked like someone could have been hurt. A couple of people were beaten by police around the edges of the kettle. There were 10 arrests, mostly towards the end when people were trying to break out of/avoid kettling, I think mostly of college students.

Oh, & the head of Avon & Somerset police was quoted in the press asking for someone to step forward & be the leader of all these protests.

Just checking, there's not much on the sky blue caps online, couple of football firm types refer to them as being part of the "heavy squad aka the bastards" while on the police specials forum they're suggesting it might be part of a "no tin lids" initiative to try and humanise the coppers - suggests it's not an official designation either way.

Pic of "luscious" Oxford Tory Keith Mitchell:

"I'm not a paedo"

Our school sent letter home to parents saying if kids were going to go on protests to keep them at home as they wouldn't be allowed out of school once they were in.
A change from last week which said they could go if they had a parental letter.

Interesting to note that yesterday Ch.4 tv news reported protesters using 'flying wedge' formations on police line weak spots to break out of kettle - admirable tactical sophistication- (there was footage of this)

Re: Sky blue caps- I think these are being worn only by PSU's like the TSG in London (so the Commanders on the ground can easily recognise them, as the heavy mob when in 'soft tops')- and they seem to now have a policy taken from the army, in any given situation, they drop the NATO helmets for the caps to appear 'less threatening'. Merely a psychological tactic to manipulate the crowd mood....

Also London riot cops have new colour coded NATO helmets denoting serial commanders, sargeants, first aiders etc. Any one out there know which is which?

Last week spoke to a big bastard TSG cop who told me (after a few provocative questions on the collapsing economy) that they were being aided in civil unrest training by a computer simulation program called something like c-net...any info on this anyone?

Auto:

the occupation of Slade Art School (part of the UCL - so that's two autonomous occupations in the same university) is made up of both students AND staff.

What is/was the social composition of this occupying staff - professors, canteen staff, cleaners,or who....?

Plus the statement from Slade Art School - defending both the arts and the sciences as they exist in this society, ie as separate specialisms, is crap, and indicative of some aspects of the limits of the perspectives of this movement (ok - it's early days yet, and such a critique could develop but that's not an excuse not to start now). The fact that this surprising movement is moving and surprising (it's certainly helped to cheer me, and hundreds of thousands of others, up) shouldn't be a reason for suspending critical faculties when it comes to looking at the function of education as it exists, regardless of how open to the children of the working class or not it is.

In fact, the changes towards a more obviously elitist culture is going to fuck up the rulers' abilities to recuperate social critique - so maybe we should welcome them (said provocatively, not really seriously)....

Samotnaf:
I agree it's important to not suspend our critique of education as a whole, just because we're defending our social wage, including education, at the moment.

In the Oxford occupation last week, there was quite a lot of critique of education as stifling and aimed towards profit, as well as the strict hierarchy between student/teacher. Even joint student-worker control was mentioned, and got support. There have been quite a lot of 'free university' sessions, often on things like 'what is education / a university?' which have basically involved everybody having a go at education as a whole. Most people were critical of the idea of education as a 'right', and it was rejected from being part of our occupation statement.

I'd be very interested to know to what extent similar ideas are floating about other places?

You might be interested in this- campaignforthepublicuniversity.org.uk -Flyer was handed to me at the mainly leftist Coalition of Resistance conference..."Seeking to defend and promote the idea of the university as a public good"..

Anyone have more info on the assemblies held in the occupied uni's? Are they open? Clique dominated?

Mike H, mons - thanks for the info; I'm showing my ignorance obviously - partly due to the fact that my computer's fucked and have to rely on my kid's one, and she's usually on it if she's at home. So I'm looking at all this pretty much in a rush and so very superficially.

princessmob:

the head of Avon & Somerset police was quoted in the press asking for someone to step forward & be the leader of all these protests.

In a fairly short-lived occupation of a dole office I was involved in here in the South of France, the manager asked who the leader was, and after a slight pause, one guy said, "I am Spartacus", followed by everyone repeating "I am Spartacus". How did the demonstrators react to the head cop in the demo mentioned?

Samotnaf

princessmob:

the head of Avon & Somerset police was quoted in the press asking for someone to step forward & be the leader of all these protests.

In a fairly short-lived occupation of a dole office I was involved in here in the South of France, the manager asked who the leader was, and after a slight pause, one guy said, "I am Spartacus", followed by everyone repeating "I am Spartacus". How did the demonstrators react to the head cop in the demo mentioned?

I don't think the cops even tried to ask during the actual demo - I didn't see them try it. I think the response probably would have been something like that. I was actually referring to a quote in the local paper:

Mr Jackson called for someone from the student body to come forward so they could better co-ordinate what he referred to as a "leaderless protest".

It will be interesting to see if anyone tries. I don't think they'll be able to, though maybe I'm overly optimistic.

The Really Open University-

http://reallyopenuniversity.wordpress.com/what-is-the-rou/

London was a strange day in which not being kettled moved from being a means to an end in itself. Mind you, the maturity and development of the young (not ENTIRELY) student protestors is to be heralded, especially considering how the ever-mobile anarchist 'movement' hadn't cracked the kettle problem in almost 10 years.

The shambles of the whole event had their good and bad points. Despite it being a London demo, the demonstrators' geography was terrible, and successive attempts to reach the Lib Dem HQ (apparently!) were thwarted. We wandered through backstreet markets, hidden squares of upmarket restuarants in the City, and took in all of the sights of central London's shopping district, without ever really finding our goal.

On the upside, a number of rearguard actions by the 'leaders' to control the various groups were as flat as their politics: Da Yoot do not respond well to well-spoken, badly-dressed students shouting "LISTEN GUYYYS, THE ORDERS ARE AS FOLLOWS". I confronted the trenchcoat idiot in question over this, and he claimed to be The Leader aka The Organiser, only for a (presumably famous, since he was at the front with an air of authority and entitement, as a well a hi vis) comrade of his to step in and say, somewhat melancholically, "no, there are no leaders here. This is...spontaneous". Don't believe their current media line of not beign kettled being the original intention of this demo, since they themselves were also intent on enforcing the kettle, calling on demonstrators to "STOP RUNNING!" innumerable times, usually whenever the hilariously out of shape and burdened down TSG motherfuckers flanking us started to jog as a means of cutting inside in front of us. Their shouts were Canut-esque though, and at one point, a guy almost knocked over shouting his inanities by all the hundreds careering past him.

I'm glad there's a "What Next?" thread already up though. I think students need to start coordinating strategies to move beyond the demonstration setpiece and think of ways to disrupt the HE economy.

The day of the parliament votes on tuition fees has been announced for the 9th and facebook pages have already been set up calling for national action. Spread the word I suppose.

http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=136567579732280
http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=173878782641548

The 'main event' 9th Dec group is already gaining members at a dizzying rate (almost 2,000 already) I think it's going to hit critical mass

An interesting thing I've noticed on Facebook with regard to the movement. There's a kind of 'democracy without votes' that's been going on. Both of the 'Weekend Action' groups were growing, but very very slowly (even the NCAFC group which only had 4k members, so it's not merely a larger number of contacts that's at work). Yet as soon as an event pops up that really catches the moods/desire of the larger group involved - boom. We're off to the races.

I think it's one of the reasons that political groups have found it so hard to 'own' this movement. Because the events that are big aren't made so because they are 'official' or because they are called by a big group - it's simply that they fit the 'herd' desire for action and thus build huge momentum.

I think it's going to be a big day, but the police are going to be all over Parliament. If the bill passes I think there's going to be a fuck. off. riot.

List of actions for the UKuncut event for this Saturday, the 4th.

Birmingham, Sat 4th Dec 2010

Meet 13:00, trade union stalls, near the Bull, Bullring, New Street

Edinburgh, Sat 4th Dec 2010

protest at Princes Street Topshop from 11am

Leeds, Sat 4th Dec 2010

Meet at 12pm in front of Topshop on Briggate

Liverpool, Sat 4th Dec 2010

As before, meet under the big screen at 11am – ready for action!

London, Sat 4th Dec 2010

Be inside Topshop, ready for action, by 11am on Saturday morning. At precisely 11.02am, we will take action right in the very heart of Philip Green’s Arcadia empire.

Manchester, Sat 4th Dec 2010

Meet at Piccadilly Gardens at the Fountains at 3pm for a moving demo with music

Xmas theme – bring appropriate costumes!

Nottingham, Sat 4th Dec 2010

Notts Save Our Services will be calling on corporations to pay their tax on Saturday 4 December. We meet at 1pm outside Vodafone on Clumber Street and will visit a few other tax avoiders after that.

Reading, Sat 4th Dec 2010

Meet @ 11am in the big cafe by the escalators in Broad St Mall.

In response to Keith Mitchell, head of oxfordshire's county council, calling school student occupiers 'oiks', 'ugly', and a 'scruffy rabble', an angry protest was called about an hour ago, for tomorrow, already has over 50 attending on facebook.
I was reading some of his blog, and he is really a caricature:

given that there were similar example of lawlessness across the country, what is driving this national outbreak of unlawful behaviour? I suspect the hard left are working up a campaign to make such lawlessness appear to be the norm and therefore to become acceptable. I wonder ho many of our teachers in Oxfordshire are working for this hard left agenda? One day we may know!

mons

In response to Keith Mitchell, head of oxfordshire's county council, calling school student occupiers 'oiks', 'ugly', and a 'scruffy rabble', an angry protest was called about an hour ago, for tomorrow, already has over 50 attending on facebook.
I was reading some of his blog, and he is really a caricature:

given that there were similar example of lawlessness across the country, what is driving this national outbreak of unlawful behaviour? I suspect the hard left are working up a campaign to make such lawlessness appear to be the norm and therefore to become acceptable. I wonder ho many of our teachers in Oxfordshire are working for this hard left agenda? One day we may know!

You'd think he was an American!

Seriously, tho, what's going on in London this weekend?

ncwob

You'd think he was an American!

Seriously, tho, what's going on in London this weekend?

Well things have currently been thrown up in the air by the fees vote date... looks like a lot of focus is currently pressing towards that...

However I think the main event in London this weekend will be this:

Protest at London Lib Dem conference– 4th December
Location: http://bit.ly/ejufKa
Time: Saturday, 04 December 2010 12:00
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=148974651817209

Post 108, I wrote:

Auto:

the occupation of Slade Art School (part of the UCL - so that's two autonomous occupations in the same university) is made up of both students AND staff

What is/was the social composition of this occupying staff - professors, canteen staff, cleaners,or who....?

Auto - do you know the answer to this or can you give me some idea of how i might be able to find the answer?

Mike Harman

The UCL occupation has an eviction notice as of an hour or so ago. Official eviction time is 2pm Friday.

I've heard that 2pm is actually the time of the court hearing? Possibility of a demo outside, but that's unconfirmed...

EDIT 2pm, Central London County Court by Regents Park...

2pm, Central London County Court by Regents Park

Mike Harman

York uni 'physics exhibition space' was occupied just now according to twitter. No details yet afaik.

I'm just headed there now. Was there earlier today and looked all right, smallish sit in of about 40 students. Will post further updates as soon as I have more idea what's going on.

Newcastle Civic Centre has been occupied.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-11941141

This text just came through from a friend:

Southbank occupiers won their demands. Language centre is reopening and all jobs reinstated!

Did a quick Google search but I didn't find anything. Anyone have any further info?

Call on facebook for 'March of Resistance to Education Cuts, London 20 December 2010'

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=179218858770566

No idea who, if anyone, is backing this

ALERT! Seems this is a false flag demo! Check FB page for comments!

Mike Harman

Really, really lazy shit from the Daily Mail:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1337884/Tuition-fees-protest-Police-issue-rogues-gallery-Camillas-attacker.html

It is understood anarchists from Italy, Germany, Spain and Latvia were among the militants who brought mayhem to the capital.
Others came from as far away as Argentina, arrived in London at least a week before the protest and were involved in planning the attacks on the Treasury and the Palace of Westminster, The Mail on Sunday has learned.
Some are thought to belong to an anarchist group called Black Bloc, which originated in Holland and Germany, and has taken part in riots all over the world.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1337884/Tuition-fees-protest-Police-issue-rogues-gallery-Camillas-attacker.html#ixzz17zWI0vvD

and 350 years ago, this Blac Bloc was called by the Daily Mail's ancestors "the Jesuits"