Violence can’t be dealt against property, only people*. The smashing of windows is just damage to property; vandalism. And it was far from a riot, it was a scuffle, so stop calling it a riot. I heard one journalist on the BBC talking about how Baroness Warsi was stuck in the office and couldn’t get out, like it was a major talking point. God forbid that politicians so intent on disrupting the lives of the poor and unprivileged should face some disruption of their own. It’s hardly being shot in the face in violent revolution is it? The horror, the horror! of being locked in an office!
Huw Edwards opened the Six O’Clock News with “Thousands of students have clashed with police…” That implies students went out deliberately to fight with police. Take a look at the actual pictures and it looks more like people were trying to push through the blue line to get into the building. That’s completely different.
And, what’s this? A fire! HOLY FUCKING SHIT! A twee little bonfire burning placards protesters brought to the streets themselves. The sheer recklessness of such despicable and abhorrent behaviour!
Calling events both violent and a riot help to marginalise non-conformist behaviour and maintain the status quo of sterile well-to-do marches which are rarely effective. Give me one good reason why I should believe standing outside Parliament in polite reverie is going to give the shower of fucks inside good reason to think again?
Fight the media. Be the media.
The media propagate the above. With cameras rolling around the clock they need to sensationalise events to justify their coverage and keep viewers hooked. And people swallow it without question. Think about the framing: A single red flare in a crowd is used to depict violence and militancy. Really? Get out there and fight the connotations, interpretations and sly nods and winks that permeate the mainstream media and tell the story as it is. Stop using the language they use and use our own.
The windows
Usually, I’d say that smashing windows achieves nothing, that all it does is contribute to negative images of militant and radical protest. I don’t have a problem with it per se, it’s just property after all. As long as people aren’t harmed by action I don’t care.** Rather, I simply object to it on the grounds that it turns people off. But today I feel differently. It’s just some fucking windows in the way of an occupation that takes the fight directly to the Tories. Fuck it. A few smashed windows pale in comparison to the thousands of futures which have been smashed by the coalition government.***
It’s good to see people standing up for their principles. So how can Aaron Porter condemn others for having the courage and conviction to risk arrest to occupy in resistance? How can people condemn others for trying something different? We should be doing more than just marching where stewards and the police tell us and hoping those in power acquiesce. We should be taking non-violent direct action, civil disobedience, creative and artistic approaches, fighting the government with smiles on our faces and attacking them with humour, not just attending a dour rally like a ticker tape parade for the homecoming queen.
Aaron Porter said at the rally that students won’t tolerate tuition fee increases. Well, isn’t that what we saw happen today? Instead of pouring media time into condemning a mountain made out of a mole hill why are you not focusing on the fees and cuts to funding and making the connection between the manifest anger and its root cause?
There will always be anarchists, militants, apathetic hoodlums and hooligans up for a ruckus at hot potato protests like today’s. We need to incorporate this into our stories somehow and not get caught up in distancing such action. No, it doesn’t represent the views and attitudes of all those involved, but it does actually represent the views and attitudes of some, and that you can’t deny. It’s rarely mindless. It’s part of the same struggle. As long as it doesn’t cause harm to people what’s the problem? By all means distance it from the NUS in particular, say, but show some respect by not condemning others who are part of the same struggle.
Divisions
I heard somebody on BBC News today, from the EMA campaign, saying that those on the rooftop weren’t students but anarchists. They’re not mutually exclusive groups, one can quite easily be the other. And what does the difference mean?
Furthermore, Aaron Porter continues to condemn the independent actions of individuals. By doing so he is claiming authority, leadership and the right to protest over this particular issue for the NUS when it is one which affects so many other people. Stop driving wedges between people. This isn’t just a student fight. We should be celebrating the diversity of the movement fighting the cuts rather than deploying divisions. I’m no longer a student but I don’t want my children in thirty odd years time to be denied a university education because of the foul and despicable, purely ideological actions of the few and the privileged today. Does that bar me from joining the fight? No. And I’m sure there are many others like me. This is a battle which includes us all, not just those who are students today.
* Although Jim Barker nicely points out that in a material society it’s the same as violence against people.
** Not quite true. I think all protests should think about the impact they have on people. Blocking a runway where people are simply trying to go on hard-earned holidays can turn people away from the green movement. Smashing a window is hardly the same though.
*** I understand there were a few instances of things being thrown from the roof at people. Obviously this is unacceptable.
Well said, Jamie. A big part of the problem with the NUS in recent years has been a loss of core values i.e. standing up for students.
Nice sentiment, but the reality is this was a protest against the Tories for not being Labour!
The life of the future student is not going to become worse. This change in tuition fees isn’t going to stop a kid from a council estate getting into a university. In fact, life should get better – but there is no way the NUS are ever going to admit the Tories are going to help out student.
The reality is that students are still going to be able to fill in the forms, and get into Uni without a penny being exchanged. The only point they are going to have to pay the cash back is if the studying works, and they get a well paid job.
In the real world, this is unheard of. Imagine talking out a loan with a tiny interest, getting it approved without having a credit check, and not having to pay it back if you didn’t have enough money! Its the kind of thing only banks on the verge of collapse can wangle!
So you smashed up an office block because you didn’t want what exactly?
To clarify, I didn’t smash anything up as I wasn’t there.
I honestly can’t see how excessive fees are going to encourage less privileged students to apply for the better institutions, if any at all. If I were to approach an undergraduate degree in such circumstances, with such debt hanging over my head, I’d be thinking again. (Funny that the government keep preaching that debt is bad. But not for students).
And the differences between institutions – the tiered system – will worsen with the elite universities maintaining their place in the higher social classes, thus strangling social mobility and the chances of the less privileged to progress.
It’s not just the cost either but the privatisation of higher education, by reforming funding and turning it from something that benefits all of society to something at the behest of markets, consequently altering the provision of most education to focus on future economic benefits.
(To clarify, I didn’t smash anything up, I wasn’t at Millbank)
Don’t forget it’s not just the huge increase in tuition fees. A few weeks ago there was talk of student loans being part of the market – i.e. no subsidised interest, banks charging what they like. On £27,000 this would be very frightening.
I wouldn’t pay £27,000 to study a degree as it would be a ripoff, I’m sure a lot of people feel the same.
I have a degree, I don’t think it benefits all of society; I’m not entirely sure that it’s benefited me greatly. I thoroughly enjoyed 3 years of University and getting involved in student politics, activities and so on, but I wouldn’t be able to honestly argue that I am any more use to society than someone without a degree.
Also, as long as students rely on the NUS to fight their battles, they will get nowhere. For several years all the people at the top of the NUS have been just trying to secure their future in the Labour party and don’t want to rock the boat too much. I don’t condone the vandals but I can sympathise with how immensely frustrating it is to try and get yourself heard within the system that we currently have.
I temp opposite Millbank and joined in with the protestors briefly during my lunch break. The vast majority of what was going on was very peaceful protest. The media had completely blown it all out of proportion. The newsreader on BBC News 24 said “Tens of thousands of protestors clashed with police”. What an exaggeration!
Excellent post. Here is my ‘be the media’ commentary – http://politicaldynamite.com/2010/11/why-the-millbank-students-deserve-our-solidarity/
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Speaking as a representative of the ‘shower of fucks inside,’ I can tell you that the demonstration, which I watched from an upstairs window, was hardly a patch on the Socialist rallies I have witnessed in the Third World – which were themselves insufficient to rock my Centre-Right views. Like the article, though! You’ll end up in the New Statesman if you don’t watch out. All the best, Jamie.
Solidarity and respect from Greece…
I am slightly annoyed with myself, I didn’t go on this protest because I thought it was just going to be another march though London organised by the infective and mostly labour controlled NUS who are more conceded with climbing the greasy pole (even at the local SU level (I include my own De Montfort SI in this)) than they are with representating the actual students.
I am pleased to see that Students atcualy have some guts to break away from there infective ‘leaders’ and show some actual dissent. Im even more pleased that the MP’s and political commentators have noted that this is ‘Only the begging’ of the opposition to ConDem cuts.
The People have shown that have the determination, but does that State?
Great post – well argued and passionate. Thank you.
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Nick Clegg’s problem is that he has just demonstrated that voting does not in fact work.
Next election is anyone’s.
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Im saddened by the stance of the NUS hieraticy and more so of My own student unions position (DSU http://tinyurl.com/36zxulv who seem to have the bizzare position of being tagged in an note links them to violence, where as actually organising buses to the protest does not). The NUS seems to be falling into the biggest pitfall of the left in that they like (Trotskyism) to condemn and agonise over all of there decisions instead of getting on with building a true coalition (not a dirty word even if it has wrought us the ConDems). Sniping off the anarchist and those of more active dissent makes us fight among ourselves and us as a whole weaker.
Indeed. It’s disheartening to see students leaders trying to force divisions among a common struggle. By all means make it clear particular actions are not the sort you’d take part in yourself but at least show some respect and solidarity for those who make independent decisions to engage in such action.
Porter said that he won’t tolerate fee increases and funding cuts. At what point will he do more than just deliver a rally speech or is it all just rhetoric?
“I wouldn’t pay £27,000 to study a degree as it would be a ripoff, I’m sure a lot of people feel the same.”
The price of the degree isn’t increasing though, it’s just changing who foots the bill. Maybe a lot of taxpayers feel ripped off at the moment.
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the government has had its day, as well as a more than fair share of the pie. its time we woke up, stood up, and remember the real reason why we celebrate bonfire night. Not because he didn’t manage to blow up the house of parliament, but because he almost did. The police are now nothing more than the rich mans personal army, we as a people need to show this army that they are outnumbered, out maneuvered, and out gunned. Its either do or die right now, we either let this pass us by as nothing more than a 2 day news event, or we make this time be remembered in the history books as being the time we finally took back the power and stood united as a people. Our children will cherish our memories more if we stand up and fight, or they will remember us as failures and not bother to watch over our graves. The choice is ours. the time is now
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One thing not to DO is Follow the Leader. We are always GIVEN our Leaders. Not always as obvious as that soon-to-be MP, Aaron Porter.
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