Today, Thursday 9 December, the day that the house of millionaires were to vote on the university tuition fees for England, saw massive demonstration by students and others. London saw the largest demonstration, on-going at the time of writing, with demonstrations in other cities across the UK. In Glasgow, where I live, there was a well attended march and demonstration through the city centre, The students with other supporters gathered at the top of Buchanan St and after some speeches marched off noisily and colourfully down Buchanan St. stopping at the Vodafone £6 billion tax dodging flagship shop, halting business for sometime. All the while making it plain to those passing by just why there was such anger with Vodafone, Most of the people in the vicinity seemed to agree with the demonstrators. Next the march headed off along Gordon St, creating a similar break in business for the Royal Bank of Scotland staff.
The students seemed to take the police by surprise when they broke into a gallop as the headed for their next target, another branch of the tax dodging Vodafone. This tactic was repeated as the march made its way to George Square, where they resisted the police efforts to be directed away from the City Chambers, breaking through the police line and formed outside the city Chambers for a short period.. They then took off around the Square and back to the front of the Chambers. By this time the police numbers and been increased considerably and at this point they probably out numbered the students by about five to one.
At this point the usual police tactic of kettling took place with students split in two groups and easily out numbered by police. In spite of this the students did manage another wee surge to change there position. After a considerable period of stand off, most of the students were released to cheers from their supporters. As I left the Square I was informed that all the students been released but later was informed that there had been at least two arrests with one student being injured.
I think the students should be proud of their display of tactics and solidarity, my only reservation is that they see this as a student battle and all about education. It is not, it is all about the living standards of all the working class. The cuts are savage and widespread and what the students have to do is link up with the unemployed, the pensioners, council workers and local communities who will all feel the brunt of this free market ideology being inflicted on us by the millionaire front men of the corporate world. The call of the students, "United the students will never be defeated" should be modified to " United the working class will never be defeated."the
One little word to the police, you should not be fooled that you are on the other side. Your kids are going to be hit, their education is going to be shredded, your parents health care is going to be decimated. The society that your kids and grandkids are going to inherit will be the same Victorian deprivation as the rest of us, your kids will face unemployment and cut benefits, you don't belong to that millionaire's club, you are being used by them to protect their power and wealth.
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