Youth Fight For Education statement on 9th December demonstration

'We can win!'

Today we marched against a trebling in university fees. We demanded that the politicians listen to the vast majority of students, parents, workers and others who stand behind our demonstrations, walkouts and occupations. The anger that has spilt out onto the streets will not go away – we will campaign and force them to back down on their plan to increase fees by 2012, along with all the cuts they are trying to get away with.

But we’re also demanding that they don’t cut our EMA, that they save our teachers’ and lecturers’ jobs and the other resources we rely on. We’re demanding the right to a decent education. We’re fighting for our future.

And we’re winning! In Wales and Scotland, because of our campaign, they will save EMA and not introduce higher fees. We’ve shown that it’s possible to fight back, and started the ball rolling that can smash this government and its program of cuts. There is a movement developing against all the cuts in jobs, against the cuts in the NHS and all the other services that we rely on. There are demonstrations and protests going on already. But this movement can and will go further than protests; workers and their power to take strike action can deal huge blows to the government and their big business paymasters. Students and young people need to link with these anti-cuts protests to form an almighty movement. On 22 January a conference is being called by the Shop Stewards Network to do just this – see www.shopstewards.net for more details.

But we must keep fighting for access to education as well! Every time a teacher or lecturer is fired, or a service closed we know we can fight back and win. In January when they try and stop new people getting EMA we should organise walkouts and protests. We should unite and bring together the protests in schools, colleges and universities and organise a real education shutdown, with everyone taking part in protests. In March, the teachers and lecturers unions (NUT and UCU) may be taking strike action – we should join in their protests and support their action. 

To do all this we need to be organised, coming together to discuss what they’re trying to cut, where and how we should fight back. Youth Fight for Education is organising in schools, colleges and universities groups to do just that, and bringing them together across the cities and beyond to coordinate action. Get involved, get organised and build the struggle – join Youth Fight for Education today!
After today’s use of violence by the police against peaceful demonstrators in London and use of intimidatory tactics, the Youth Fight for Jobs is launching the Youth Democratic Rights campaign. We are Kettling Scotland Yard on Saturday at 15:30 to protest against the use of the tactic in London, Bristol, Brighton, Leeds and elsewhere. The worst case was in London on November 24th, when the police held demonstrators, many school students on their first ever protest, for over 9 hours without food, water or any toilet facilities. The police also attacked the Day X protest which was a legally planned march. The police had negotiated with the protest organisers and agreed that they would allow them to march through Parliament Square on the day. Instead around half the march was Kettled and then charged at by police horses. 

www.youthfightforeducation.com
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