Defend the Right to Protest in Education

We have a number of stalls and meetings coming up in universities around the country - see below for details.

Video: Battle of Parliament Square

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Leaflet - DTRTP in Education (UCU / Staff)- pdf (outside)pdf (inside)jpg (outside)jpg (inside)jpg (high resolution outside)jpg (high resolution inside)

Leaflet - DTRTP in Education (NUS / Students) - pdf (outside)pdf (inside)jpg (outside)jpg (inside)jpg (high resolution outside)jpg (high resolution inside)

Defend the Right to Protest was launched following the student demonstrations of November and December 2010 against the tripling of tuition fees and the scrapping of the Education Maintenance Allowance.

Despite the mass numbers of people involved in the protests, police employed violent and punishing tactics including kettling, horse charges and indiscriminate batoning. Scores of students arrested while fighting to defend their right to education were then charged with a number of offences, clearly with the intent of dissuading any further resistance to the austerity measures. Indeed, the pattern that emerged in the aftermath was one of disproportionate charges and sentencing, many being charged with the public order offence of ‘violent disorder’, which can incur a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison. These included a college student sentenced to 12 months for waving a flimsy placard stick that hit and hurt no one.

Challenging the criminalisation of student protesters

 

DTRTP was launched in recognition of the need to challenge the narrative carried in much of the press of who perpetrated and suffered the violence of those demonstrations and to campaign for justice for those being criminalised.

Showing solidarity and providing legal and practical support

 

Supported by the NUS and the UCU (University and College lecturers union), our role has been to show solidarity with the defendants, supporting them and their families through the legal process, helping ensure they have appropriate representation and organising support for them amongst fellow students, lecturers and the wider public.

Winning Cases:

 

We have been part of supporting students challenging their charges - many of whom have been successful. Read for example, about the success of the Hilliard Brothers found not guilty by a jury after being *wrongly* accused of pulling a police officer off a horse. See: http://www.defendtherighttoprotest.org/hilliard-brothers-acquitted-today/

Support on campus and for those imprisoned

 

We have also campaigned to make sure students maintain their place at university, regardless of their trial or sentence and to give practical support to those imprisoned.

This included supporting the successful campaign to reinstate James Heslip at Kingston University upon his release from prison. It involved organising support from the student union and lecturers at Sussex University for Zenon Mitchell-Kotsakis who was sentenced to 15 months in prison for throwing a stick that hit and hurt nobody.

We continue to demand an end to political charging and sentencing of protesters, such as in the case of Alfie Meadows. Not only did Alfie suffer a life-threatening injury from being struck by a police baton, but he is now also being charged with violent disorder. See:  http://www.defendtherighttoprotest.org/justice-for-alfie-meadows/

 

Defending our education and our right to protest - by protesting

 

Although the vote on tuition and EMA passed, the attack on education continues from the privatization of staff to the deportation of international students at London Metropolitan University, as does the attack on our right to oppose the marketization of our education.

Campaign Stalls at Freshers

 

DtRtP will be holding stalls at a number of universities for Fresher’s Fairs this autumn, come talk to us and see how you can get involved!

• UEL – 18th – 21st September
• Sussex – 18th September
• QMU – 19th September
• Kingston – 20/21st September
• KCL – 20/21st September
• University of the Arts London – 26th September
• Goldsmiths – 27/28th September
• UCL - 27/28th September
• SOAS – 29th September
• LSE – 1/2nd October
• Essex – 6th October

PROTEST WORKS - Speaking tour with DTRTP alongside JEREMIE BEDARD-WIEN, Exec member of CLASSE, QUEBEC

 

In conjunction with Education Activist Network, DTRTP will doing a meetings tour in universities across the country with Jérémie Bédard-Wien, executive member of CLASSE in Québec where a mass student strike against fees increases defied a repressive emergency law 78 to win substantial victories.

Jeremie Bedard-Wien will be talking about how protest won out -alongside others including Alfie Meadows, student defendant from the protests against fees in Britain, Autumn 2010.

Full speakers list and times to be confirmed soon.

 

• Weds 10th October – Goldsmiths College, 5pm
• Thurs 11th October – Sussex University
• Friday 12th October - Kings College, Central London
• Sunday 14th October – DtRtP National Conference at University of London Union
• Monday 15th October – Sheffield University
• Tuesday 16th October – Oxford University
• Wednesday 17th October – Essex University
• Thursday 18th October - UEL University
• Friday 19th October - Manchester University

Thanks to Education Activist Network for organising. www.educationactivistnetwork.wordpress.com