The Big Protest - Feelings From The Ground

UPDATE from Siobhan Bligh

On a sunny but cold autumn day, 52 thousand-students and activists took to the streets to fight for the right to a fair system of higher education, and I was one of them. The sight of the Houses of Parliament over the heads of thousands of students, that usually fills me with a sense of awe and humbleness, looked insignificant in the shadow of student solidarity. As we shuffled down Whitehall, the towering sandstone blocks shut themselves away from the truth, that the coalition has created rage in people (well over double the 20-thousand expected attended the march) , and that the pleas of “but New Labour left us in this mess”, only carries so much weight behind it. Upon returning home from the protest it became apparent that the news was about one story only, the anarchists that blockaded Millibank Tower. The 52-thousand voices of peaceful protest remain unheard, their efforts destroyed by the actions of balaclava-clad hooligans.

Outside the Millibank tower, (head quarters of the Conservative Party) there was a fiery air of excitement. We all knew we were doing something out of bounds after walking past pale-faced stewards, who pleaded with us to turn around and “stay out of trouble”. The cheerfulness of the day turned to hysterical delight at the chance to show the Tories, how angry we were with their cuts to education directly; many of us had spent the day chanting “no ifs, no buts, no education cuts!” Drums pounded a carnival beat and the chanting increased, bodies pushed close together got more and more hysterical as fires were lit and flares were sparked. As one of the two-thousand students outside Millibank, I can vouch that the trouble was started by a few individuals. The vibe was good, myself and friends dancing whilst releasing our anger at the Tories in a peaceful (albeit loud) way.

After the building was broken into, the mood changed, and when the fire-extinguisher was thrown at the police, the crowd below was horrified, and started shouting “stop throwing s***!”, angrily at the anarchists and ajoined students sucked into the craze up on the roof. We walked aside to take some photos, and saw the riot police. It then became quickly obvious that some people had gone too far, they had smashed their way into Millibank and created senseless havoc. The news quickly became flooded with stories about students rioting, and police failure. It is appalling that people could not contain their anger to the dancing and chanting that was peaceful and strong. Shame on those that resorted to violence to express their anger. Most students are angry that their peaceful efforts have now been sabotaged. We needed to show that we are angry and willing to fight these cuts, but violence undermines the strength of our unity and peaceful message. We must call upon Liberal Democrat MPs to break party ranks and vote against this rise in tuition fees, this can only be done with a clear mind and a non-violent protest.