BARROW STUDENT AT LONDON 'RIOT'

UNIONS DITHER AS STUDENTS LEAD BY EXAMPLE


At its 2010 conference, the British Trade Union Congress agreed to hold a national demonstration against 'the cuts' in...............................March 2011.  It's fortunate they're not in charge of the fire or ambulance services! 


But, in fact, we do have an emergency situation and just another peaceful, civilised, 'carnival atmosphere' march in the capital (which the boss class can ignore and about which the news media may provide the odd paragraph/two minute broadcast) will be of little consequence for such demonstrations are as effective as having a picnic on the Thames Embankment.


Clearly, there is now a realisation that just holding parades and waving banners is ineffective and that something further is required if the authorities are to be made to sit up and take notice and that even modest damage to property is guaranteed to achieve this - especially if there are people around with devices to record the event and pass on 'dramatic' footage to the press and TV when it can then be described as 'mindless violence', 'thuggish vandalism', etc.  I can imagine that smashing a few windows is a good way of releasing some pent up frustration. At least no cars were overturned or buses hijacked and set on fire: well, not this time.


Barrovian, Ben Martin, a student studying for a degree in multimedia journalism at Bournemouth University attended the National Union of Students demonstration alongside about 300 other students from his university and was able to provide a first hand report.  He said some people were being deliberately antagonistic and getting the crowd worked up.  He went on to say that some people said the violence undid the good work (of the demo) but added that every aspect of the cuts is happening right now to him and his fellow students and they regard this as a violence made against them.  He declared that as far as he was concerned, it was a case of responding to violence with violence. He believed the NUS would be unlikely to call another mass demonstration and that further campaigns would be conducted at a 'local' university campus level. Ben's account was reported in full in an article published in the November 13th edition of the North West Evening Mail.


Public meetings against the cuts are being held on Wednesday 17th November at the Shakespeare Centre, Kendal, at 7pm and on Thursday 18th November at Lancaster Town Hall, at 7.30pm.


Meanwhile, in Furness..........................................................