More on the riot

Press release from Kent Green Party below, but interesting to see that lecturers are more supportive of the students than some students appear to be. This is from Prof Grigg-Spall at University of Kent and this is the statement from lecturers at Goldsmiths. Of course violence is wrong, but it needs to be understood in the context of the anger that the students are feeling. They didn't target people (apart from one idiot with the fire extinguisher), they broke a few windows.

On last night's news quiz, there was a great comment that the police put too few officers to cover the march due to the cuts and suggested an interesting conversation might be happening about how under policed future marches will be unless the government protects police funding. I also liked the comment about the only promise Clegg seems to have delivered on was that there would be rioting if the government made hard cuts!

KGP press release:

“Kent Green Party wants our young people to enter adult life after University without the crippling debts offered to them by the Coalition. Imposing the highest average tuition fees in the world upon students will increase indebtedness and depress savings. A better option to help sustain Higher Education would be increasing corporation tax to the average European level.

“I note that the Young Greens(1) , the youth and student branch of the Green Party has commented on the student protests in London(2): Sam Coates, co-chair of the Young Greens, was at Millbank on 10th November. He said:

"The anger at yesterday's protests was remarkable, especially towards the Lib Dems who have left so many students feeling betrayed……………..Students have begun the fight against the Coalition's dangerous and damaging policies………….. Obviously we abhor violence against people, but the events at Millbank were a totally understandable response to pent up anger of young people who feel they are being jilted at every turn.”

"Kent Green Party is concerned that higher tuition fees will impact upon Kent communities with large numbers of students – notably Medway and the Canterbury district. Apart from the risk of many young people not going to University at all, those who do are likely to severely curtail their spending in the local economy. This makes job losses from higher tuition fees likely in both Higher Education institutions and in the local economy."

Notes:
1. The youth and student wing of the Green Party.
2. See their full release at: http://london.greenparty.org.uk/region/london/news/11-11-2010-Student-protests-are-expression-of-a-generation-at-the-end-of-its-tether.html