Student Riots

I am watching a Sky News feed right now. Uni students have attacked the Conservative Party headquarters in London. 11 injuries so far. All ground floor windows smashed. Fire in the street. No arrests. The police do not have control.

London, England (CNN) -- A group of demonstrators broke into the headquarters of Britain's governing Conservative party in London Wednesday, spray-painting anarchy symbols and setting off flares before being forced out of the building. They went on to set fires outside the building. The violence came during a largely peaceful protest by students against government plans to allow universities to increase tuition fees. The National Union of Students said 40,000 demonstrators were on the streets. London's Metropolitan Police did not offer a crowd estimate or have any information about arrests. Students and university staff are protesting against government plans to allow universities to charge up to 9,000 pounds (about $14,500) per year in tuition fees -- a substantial rise from the current cap. "We are taking to the streets in unprecedented numbers to tell politicians that enough is enough," NUS president Aaron Porter said in a statement before the demonstration. "We will not tolerate the previous generation passing on its debts to the next, nor will we pick up the bill to access a college and university education that was funded for them," he said. The government wants to raise tuition fees and scrap some subsidies for university students as it tries to cut a massive budget deficit. Students protest in London, Conservative HQ attacked - CNN.com (http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/europe/11/10/uk.protest/index.html?section=cnn_latest)

Students: Riot: tution fees. History.....

^ Is that some sort of half-done haiku?

More 'half baked'.

[media: http://www.youtube.com/v/W1bHOFHyEf0] [media: http://www.youtube.com/v/MmudJafnQh0] [media: http://www.youtube.com/v/eLsozHuVWzA] Watch out America.

Methinks if this is the standard of university entrants in the U.K. these days I am glad I now live abroad. Seems as if the old Agitprop and Rentamob boys and girls of the sixties and seventies have spawned yet more mindless clones. We had fun in the sixties when I was up at uni, and indeed the seventies to when I was up at uni again, however I don't recall such damage to property , punch ups, yes, wanton vandalism , no.

Quote Originally Posted by Freedom View Post (http://www.ajarnforum.net/vb/international-news/54095-student-riots.html#post1472460) Watch out America. This thread is about British political problems - WTF do you introduce Brazil, Colombia, Chile and Mexico etc into it? Anyway I don't think it was such a bad thing - property destruction was unnecessary, and injury...but politicians should have to face the consequences of their decisions and policies, and understand the real anger and impact they have on humans. It hopefully makes them think a bit more about the decisions they make. It also reaffirms that Britain is still a relatively civilised country - police didn't shoot the protesters, and I'm fairly sure that the student leadership won't get knocks on their doors in the middle of the night. That doesn't happen in a lot of countries in the world. Its also good to hear the Lib-Dems squirm on the radio this morning - political righteousness and popularity is much easier when you don't have to actually DO anything - now they get to taste the often bitter fruits of power and government. I reckon it will result in disaster for them at the next election.

Quote Originally Posted by Slim Chance View Post (http://www.ajarnforum.net/vb/international-news/54095-student-riots.html#post1472471) Anyway I don't think it was such a bad thing Really? Quote Originally Posted by Slim Chance View Post (http://www.ajarnforum.net/vb/international-news/54095-student-riots.html#post1472471) police didn't shoot the protesters, Maybe they should have

^ american?

No - I'm from Texas

Free speech in action. The US could learn something from it.

Quote Originally Posted by Umbuku View Post (http://www.ajarnforum.net/vb/international-news/54095-student-riots.html#post1472489) Free speech in action. More like free violence Foolish comment about the U.S. which is number one in free speech.

A small number I would guess.

If I were in England, I'd be out there with them. Cameron is essentially a male Maggie Thatcher. Quote Originally Posted by johnny larue View Post (http://www.ajarnforum.net/vb/international-news/54095-student-riots.html#post1472495) More like free violence From how many? ---------- Post added at 08:35 ---------- Previous post was at 08:33 ---------- Quote Originally Posted by johnny larue View Post (http://www.ajarnforum.net/vb/international-news/54095-student-riots.html#post1472495) Foolish comment about the U.S. which is number one in free speech. Detailed knowledge of free speech in every country, or ignorance on a massive scale? [image: http://www.ajarnforum.net/vb/images/smilies/wink.gif]

Quote Originally Posted by Mr Pants View Post (http://www.ajarnforum.net/vb/international-news/54095-student-riots-post1472500.html#post1472500) If I were in England, I'd be out there with them. Cameron is essentially a male Maggie Thatcher. Things have been heading this way for decades - here's the time line. In all fairness though the Tories initiated the change to pay for tertiary education the Labour Party were quick to get onboard once the concept had been accepted. By Heidi Blake (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/journalists/heidi-blake/) 11:30AM GMT 10 Nov 2010 Comments (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/8057871/Grants-loans-and-tuition-fees-a-timeline-of-how-university-funding-has-evolved.html#dsq-content) 1962 Mandatory maintenance grants are introduced for students to cover tuition fees and living costs. 1980 Student grants are increased from £380 to £1,430. 1984 The Conservative Education Secretary Keith Joseph abandons plans for parents to be made to contribute to tuition fees. Related Articles <LI class=bullet sizcache="14" sizset="43">Clegg admits breaking fees pledge (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/universityeducation/8123832/Nick-Clegg-admits-breaking-tuition-fees-pledge.html) 10 Nov 2010 <LI class=bullet sizcache="14" sizset="44">Foreign students will benefit but who will be hardest hit? (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/8122949/Foreign-students-will-benefit-from-tuition-fee-increase-but-who-will-be-hardest-hit.html) 10 Nov 2010 <LI class=bullet sizcache="14" sizset="45">University tuition costs to hit £36,000 under reform (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/8057646/University-tuition-costs-to-hit-36000.html) 11 Oct 2010 <LI class=bullet sizcache="14" sizset="46">Cost of university tuition will soar to £36,000 (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/8057885/Lord-Browne-review-cost-of-university-tuition-will-hit-36000.html) 12 Oct 2010 <LI class=bullet sizcache="14" sizset="47">11 Oct 2010 'Strong' must pay fair share of university tuition fees (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/8058548/Lord-Browne-review-the-strong-must-pay-their-fair-share-of-university-tuition-fees.html) 12 Oct 2010 1989 The Tories freeze grants and introduce student loans. Grants of up to £2,265 remain available for poorer students, while loans of up to £420 are on offer to all applicants. 1996 John Major, the Conservative prime minister, commissions Lord Dearing to make recommendations on higher education funding. 1997 Labour is elected on a manifesto which includes a commitment to ensure that "the costs of student maintenance should be repaid by graduates on an income-related basis ..." The Dearing report is published. It recommends that students should pay approximately 25 per cent of the cost of tuition but that government grants should remain in place. David Blunkett, the Labour Education Secretary, announces the introduction of £1,000 tuition fees to be paid by every student in each year of study, beginning in September 1998. The student grant of £1,710 is abolished to be replaced by means-tested student loans. 1998 The Teaching and Higher Education Act is passed into law – setting an annual tuition fee for England of £1,000. Means testing means a third of students will not pay anything. 1999 A committee led by Lord Cubie begins a comprehensive review of higher education funding in Scotland. The Cubie report recommends in December that tuition fees in Scotland should be scrapped and the Scottish executive should fund higher education in full. Students would be required to pay £3,000 of it back when their earnings reached £25,000 a year. 2000 The Scottish executive accepts Lord Cubie’s proposals, with one adjustment. Students in Scotland must now pay back £2,000, not £3,000, but repayments start once earnings reach just £10,000 – way below the £25,000 recommended. 2001 Labour is re-elected with a manifesto pledge that it "will not introduce top-u

Quote Originally Posted by Mr Pants View Post (http://www.ajarnforum.net/vb/international-news/54095-student-riots-post1472500.html#post1472500) Detailed knowledge of free speech in every country, or ignorance on a massive scale? Blowing smoke up my ass or just being a uke puke? [image: http://www.ajarnforum.net/vb/images/smilies/wink.gif]

Quote Originally Posted by Umbuku View Post (http://www.ajarnforum.net/vb/international-news/54095-student-riots-post1472489.html#post1472489) Free speech in action. The US could learn something from it. I've seen plenty of Tea Party protests many of which were far bigger than the London one but I have seen one get violent. Why is it that all the violent marches happens with leftists but conservatives get all the blame? [image: http://www.ajarnforum.net/vb/images/smilies/mad.gif] ---------- Post added at 11:09 ---------- Previous post was at 11:08 ---------- Quote Originally Posted by johnny larue View Post (http://www.ajarnforum.net/vb/international-news/54095-student-riots-post1472495.html#post1472495) More like free violence Foolish comment about the U.S. which is number one in free speech. Wouldn't a leftist argue that violence is part of free speech?

I'm sorry I missed the statement in this report that it was a group of leftist idealists. I thought it was a group of university students at a rally organized and lead by their elected student union representatives. A large group that had a small element get violent.

Labor unions and teachers also participated in the march.

Quote Originally Posted by Mr Pants View Post (http://www.ajarnforum.net/vb/international-news/54095-student-riots-post1472500.html#post1472500) a male Maggie Thatcher a tautology surely

Quote Originally Posted by markle View Post (http://www.ajarnforum.net/vb/international-news/54095-student-riots-2.html#post1472583) a tautology surely It cannot be said enough. Wish we had him as our President.

Quote Originally Posted by johnny larue View Post (http://www.ajarnforum.net/vb/international-news/54095-student-riots-post1472481.html#post1472481) No - I'm from Texas If any of you think this comment is a joke you're wrong. Many Texans say it all the time. ---------- Post added at 21:17 ---------- Previous post was at 21:16 ---------- Quote Originally Posted by Freedom View Post (http://www.ajarnforum.net/vb/international-news/54095-student-riots-2.html#post1472561) happens with leftists but conservatives get all the blame? And you just lectured me about knowing the difference between the soap box and other forums ... Get the fuck outa here.

Quote Originally Posted by jonny danger View Post (http://www.ajarnforum.net/vb/international-news/54095-student-riots-2.html#post1472616) If any of you think this comment is a joke you're wrong. Many Texans say it all the time. ---------- Post added at 21:17 ---------- Previous post was at 21:16 ---------- And you just lectured me about knowing the difference between the soap box and other forums ... Get the fuck outa here. I was "lecturing" you about civility which is something that you clearly lack. Perhaps an old dog can learn new tricks.

Quote Originally Posted by jonny danger View Post (http://www.ajarnforum.net/vb/international-news/54095-student-riots-2.html#post1472616) If any of you think this comment is a joke you're wrong. Many Texans say it all the time. It was a joke.

Quote Originally Posted by Freedom View Post (http://www.ajarnforum.net/vb/international-news/54095-student-riots-2.html#post1472612) Wish we had him as our President. Wasn't she yanking Reagans strings much of the time?

Freedom, you're derailing the thread. STFU already. On Topic: Just as well !! Cameron and his cronies are the worst thing to happen to Britian in along time... things are set to get worse!

Quote Originally Posted by Hollow View Post (http://www.ajarnforum.net/vb/international-news/54095-student-riots-2.html#post1472643) Cameron and his cronies are the worst thing to happen to Britian in along time... things are set to get worse! Do you really believe that these are political choices independent of financial reality?

Yes... I do.

wait 'til the pensioners get their danders up. planning has already started [image: http://www.paulandstorm.com/wp-content/uploads/Image/AmenGarde.jpeg]

Quote Originally Posted by johnny larue View Post (http://www.ajarnforum.net/vb/international-news/54095-student-riots-post1472479.html#post1472479) Maybe they should have Always the heavy-handed redneck. Waz up, dick don't work any more?

That's what I was wondering. Yesterday he was on about governments interfering in the raising of children just because McD's has been told to stop using toys to entice children to consume toxic residue. "Big government will eat your babies blah, socialism blah blah, brown shirts blah blah blah.."

^ & ^^ commies.

Just call me 'Che'... [image: http://www.ajarnforum.net/vb/images/smilies/grin.gif]

Quote Originally Posted by Rocksteady View Post (http://www.ajarnforum.net/vb/international-news/54095-student-riots-post1472543.html#post1472543) Things have been heading this way for decades 2010 Lord Browne recommends that students should pay at least £21,000 for a three-year-degree in the most radical shake-up of higher education funding for 50 years. Hardly just a continuum there then, rock. Fact is most of these tories don't just see the cuts as a regrettable necessity. As Alan Johnson said, they're the reason they came into politics. To rekindle the days of Thatcher when the less privileged were treated worse than dogs. To them the important thing is not simply wealth, but privilege. You can't have privilege if nobody is going without. Well, where would those Thatcher years be without a few riots, demos and destruction. I bet the smug ****s weren't expecting it at their own water cooler though.

And where are Clegg and Cable in all this? Uni fees were always going to be the litmus test. Are they really so fucking shallow as to stand by while their partners plunge the country back into the abyss of social division? If the Lib Dems did have any influence on the reforms thus far then God only knows what the Conservatives would have done had they not have to take their coalition partners into consideration. The Tories must be thinking that they can't believe their luck. Not only are they in power, but the leftiest of popular left parties are seemingly right on board with their thinly veiled austerity measures. They must see that it's a means to get everything as Torified as they can in as short amount of time as possible. It's a New Thatcherite's wet fucking dream.

Remember smaller events than this have kicked off wars and revolutions. Thing is nobody ever knows how it's going to play out .. logical. I want something like this to happen in the USA, to shake up some shit. Maybe not over anything academic-related, but just some bold defiance in great numbers to let the phat cats know we've had enough. Of course LaRue would be locked and loaded in a church tower with a ten-power scope and a bandalero of rounds Xed on his chest.

The Battle of Seattle didn't really come to much.

Quote Originally Posted by jonny danger View Post (http://www.ajarnforum.net/vb/international-news/54095-student-riots-3.html#post1472717) but just some bold defiance in great numbers to let the phat cats know we've had enough. . I think Freedom et al think this is just what the Tea Party is all about-- hence the name.

The Thrilla in Manilla fizzled too.

Fkin hell - haven't we got enough threads dedicated to all that palaver? [image: http://www.ajarnforum.net/vb/images/smilies/grin.gif]

Quote Originally Posted by manned-rake View Post (http://www.ajarnforum.net/vb/international-news/54095-student-riots-3.html#post1472720) I think Freedom et al think this is just what the Tea Party is all about-- hence the name. Yes, we know. But I doubt those fat fucks could get it up for the task.

Quote Originally Posted by manned-rake View Post (http://www.ajarnforum.net/vb/international-news/54095-student-riots-3.html#post1472720) I think Freedom et al think this is just what the Tea Party is all about-- hence the name. Except that I never have nor never will condone violence. For the most part the Tea Party members go out of their way to demonstrate peacefully. As for cutting programs I am in complete agreement with Cameron . If the government cannot afford it then it needs to be cut and I applaud him for doing one hell of a job.

Quote Originally Posted by Freedom View Post (http://www.ajarnforum.net/vb/international-news/54095-student-riots-3.html#post1472749) If the government cannot afford it... [image: http://www.ajarnforum.net/vb/images/smilies/laugh.gif]

Leaving Afghanistan two days early should cover it.

Quote Originally Posted by Freedom View Post (http://www.ajarnforum.net/vb/international-news/54095-student-riots-post1472749.html#post1472749) I applaud him for doing one hell of a job. I'll not be asking you to count my chickens.

Quote Originally Posted by Fortesque Smythe Brown View Post (http://www.ajarnforum.net/vb/international-news/54095-student-riots-post1472466.html#post1472466) Seems as if the old Agitprop and Rentamob boys and girls of the sixties and seventies have spawned yet more mindless clones. There's always a 'manufactured' anger element in these sorts of demonstrations plus the usual rentamob hangers-on, FSB. The way that the government has structured the student finance system from 2012 is that those graduates who go on to get the highest-paying jobs will start repaying their loans first. Perhaps they should be protesting the loudest, not some of the losers pictured smashing windows.

Quote Originally Posted by paully View Post (http://www.ajarnforum.net/vb/international-news/54095-student-riots-4.html#post1472773) The way that the government has structured the student finance system from 2012 is that those graduates who go on to get the highest-paying jobs will start repaying their loans first. Perhaps they should be protesting the loudest, not some of the losers pictured smashing windows. Fair point, but some people have just seen chances of further study disappear completely. Not become more expensive in the early stages of lucrative careers.

Sure, I didn't mean to imply that there was no righteous anger amongst the protesters. It will certainly affect the numbers entering higher education and some will unfortunately lose out.

Quote Originally Posted by paully View Post (http://www.ajarnforum.net/vb/international-news/54095-student-riots-4.html#post1472777) some will unfortunately lose out. Many will lose out. There will be fewer courses on offer as the government has taken the axe to the funding of what they consider to be "lesser" subjects. Moreover, those that do get in will graduate and enter a job market flooded with degrees. Many graduates have already been forced to move back in with their family or rent a place with friends as they can't afford to buy their own place. Now they'll have an even bigger financial burden hanging over their heads. Until they earn enough to start making repayments, the interest on that devalued degree will only keep building.

Quote Originally Posted by Mr Pants View Post (http://www.ajarnforum.net/vb/international-news/54095-student-riots-4.html#post1472817) Many graduates have already been forced to move back in with their family or rent a place with friends as they can't afford to buy their own place. You're joking right? University students no longer being able to buy their own place is a major issue here? You went to university in England with a significant percentage of students who owned their own homes?