Letter in the Guardian today - initiated by Defend the Right to Protest
• We welcome today’s national student demonstration, called by the NUS. The determination of the student protests in 2010 against the tripling of fees and cutting of education maintenance allowance gave inspiration to everyone opposed to the coalition government’s attacks on education and wider society. In response, the government has pursued a strategy of dissuading students from exercising their right to protest. Police kettles held thousands of school students for hours in freezing conditions, while mounted police charged into the crowds. Middlesex University student Alfie Meadows almost lost his life after being hit on the head with a police truncheon and many young people were dragged through the courts on extremely serious charges.
Less publicised were the many cases in which students were vindicated by juries who found them not guilty. These include the Hilliard brothers, who were acquitted of pulling a policeman from his horse in a trial that revealed the hapless officer had slipped from his saddle while pulling one of the boys’ hair. This was contrary to David Cameron’s insistence that police had been “dragged off horses and beaten”.
Yet the trials continue, with Alfie Meadows and his co-defendant Zak King facing a further trial in February – almost two and a half years after the fees vote. On 5 December George Osborne is expected to announce a further onslaught against the most vulnerable in society. This will require a united and determined response. That is why we will stand with the students, just as they have stood with others in the fight against austerity. Together we shall resist the government’s use of the police and the courts to undermine our right to protest.
Defend the Right to Protest
Len McCluskey UNITE general secretary
Christine Blower NUT general secretary
Mark Serwotka PCS general secretary
Billy Hayes CWU general secretary
Bob Crow RMT general secretary
Jelena Timotijevic UCU NEC/ DtRtP Convenor
Mark Thomas Comedian
Caroline Lucas MP
John McDonnell MP
Billy Bragg Musician
Laurie Penny Author
Zita Holbourne PCS NEC
Lee Hall Screenwriter
Peter Kavanagh Unite regional secretary, London & Eastern Region
Liz Lawrence UCU NEC
Jim Wolfreys UCU King’s College London
Mark Campbell UCU NEC
Tony Kearns CWU deputy general secretary
Greetings! Very useful advice in this particular article!
It’s the little changes that produce the biggest changes.
Thanks for sharing!