Birmingham students march and occupy council house on Day X2 (30th November 2010)
300 Students and workers march through Birmingham City Centre and 60 occupy the council chambers at Birmingham City Council for over 4 hours. Remaining protesters maintained a public protest outside the building to ensure the action was visible to a busy market square. Protests remained peaceful throughout the day.
The action in Birmingham today took place against a back from of what was the 3rd national day of action by students. It was a day of revolt—across Britain, from Dundee to Bournemouth, young people rose up against the attacks on education. The protest named X2 following day X on the 24th November and the 50, 000 NUS/UCU protest on the 10th of November.
These protests are a revolt against £9,000 university fees, the closing off of universities to all but the rich, and the abolition of the EMA allowance that 16-18 year olds rely on to go to college. But it was also about the way the Tories are ripping up people’s futures.
From the beginning of the occupations messages of solidarity flooded in from trade union representatives all over the city representing some of the most vulnerable members of the public and public sector workers under attack from the cuts including UNISON, PCS and UCU unions.
These included support workers, council workers and civil servants, support staff, teachers and lecturers in education, Connexions youth workers faced with job cuts and cuts to the services for the most vulnerable young people in Birmingham. Refugees and migrant workers will see a massive cut in legal aid, what little there is between what can mean life and death for those that are already exploited and degraded in the most appalling ways.
A statement from PCS Union representing over 300,000 civil servants said “Student protests against the attacks on education are inspirational to the rest of us. This is part of a concerted attack by this government to take away people’s rights to education, work, welfare, healthcare, housing and more. The question ultimately is: who pays for the crisis? It is clear that students should not pay for it, and it’s clear the public sector workers shouldn’t either. We should be unified in demanding that those who cause the crisis should pay for it. Keep up the fight, we can win.”
The student action was providing them inspiration and hope that there is an alternative to the CON-DEM cuts which would wreck the lives of millions.
Day X2 and day X has showed that the angry march and the occupation of Tory headquarters on 10 November was not a one-off event and there were as many if not more people involved each time.
Tens of thousands of students, especially school students, took to the streets. These school students know universities are being closed off to them by soaring fees. They know the cuts mean that only a few will get more than low-paid jobs.
Birmingham students march and occupy council house on Day X2 (30th November 2010)
300 Students and workers march through Birmingham City Centre and 60 occupy the council chambers at Birmingham City Council for over 4 hours. Remaining protesters maintained a public protest outside the building to ensure the action was visible to a busy market square. Protests remained peaceful throughout the day.
The action in Birmingham today took place against a back from of what was the 3rd national day of action by students. It was a day of revolt—across Britain, from Dundee to Bournemouth, young people rose up against the attacks on education. The protest named X2 following day X on the 24th November and the 50, 000 NUS/UCU protest on the 10th of November.
These protests are a revolt against £9,000 university fees, the closing off of universities to all but the rich, and the abolition of the EMA allowance that 16-18 year olds rely on to go to college. But it was also about the way the Tories are ripping up people’s futures.
From the beginning of the occupations messages of solidarity flooded in from trade union representatives all over the city representing some of the most vulnerable members of the public and public sector workers under attack from the cuts including UNISON, PCS and UCU unions.
These included support workers, council workers and civil servants, support staff, teachers and lecturers in education, Connexions youth workers faced with job cuts and cuts to the services for the most vulnerable young people in Birmingham. Refugees and migrant workers will see a massive cut in legal aid, what little there is between what can mean life and death for those that are already exploited and degraded in the most appalling ways.
A statement from PCS Union representing over 300,000 civil servants said “Student protests against the attacks on education are inspirational to the rest of us. This is part of a concerted attack by this government to take away people’s rights to education, work, welfare, healthcare, housing and more. The question ultimately is: who pays for the crisis? It is clear that students should not pay for it, and it’s clear the public sector workers shouldn’t either. We should be unified in demanding that those who cause the crisis should pay for it. Keep up the fight, we can win.”
The student action was providing them inspiration and hope that there is an alternative to the CON-DEM cuts which would wreck the lives of millions.
Day X2 and day X has showed that the angry march and the occupation of Tory headquarters on 10 November was not a one-off event and there were as many if not more people involved each time.
Tens of thousands of students, especially school students, took to the streets. These school students know universities are being closed off to them by soaring fees. They know the cuts mean that only a few will get more than low-paid jobs.