anyone else waiting for their DC to be unkettled ?

[gingeroots]

Anyone else have a DC stuck in Whitehall ?
Had a phonecall at 3pm to tell me that the entire Physics class had joined the protest and that DS stuck in Whitehall .
They're supposed to be releasing them in small groups but DS says minimal activity .

Given that the kettle was so clearly pre-arranged, it's quite interesting that a police van just happened to be 'abandoned' so that the journos had a good view of it .

One smashed up bit of property doesn't really equate with the damage that's being done to the lives, health, hopes and aspirations of the 'have nots', IMHO.

So true.

Why didn't they protest then when Labour introduced the charges originally?. It's a farce orchestrated by the extreme left as usual where schoolchildren are the new useful idiots.

Of course they should have let them go, granted. I'm not disputing that, it was just the quote that made me smile. I suppose for those kids it was an introduction to the real world - because i can't see the police changing their protest tactics any time soon, unfortunately.

My DS said that " most " of the police were ok ,it was " only " a few of them who were antagonistic .
He thought that was good ....but I don't .
They're in a position of power ; doing a difficult job yes .
But one that they are trained to do and have chosen .
All the talk I've heard today on the radio about having no sympathy with protestors who associate with trouble makers ,makes me really mad .
I guess no one should ever try and make their point of view by demonstrating peacefully .
After all ,they're associating with trouble makers aren't they ?
And they can just walk away from them ,can't they ?
Except when you're contained as one huge group by the police you can't can you ?
Never mind - the police have meeted out their punishment .
You think you can join a group of people with the intention of peacefully protesting ?
We'll soon put you off that idea ,you're associating with troublemakers so we'll punish you by constraining you for 7 hours .
That'll put you off doing it again .

My DS said that " most " of the police were ok ,it was " only " a few of them who were antagonistic .
He thought that was good ....but I don't .
They're in a position of power ; doing a difficult job yes .
But one that they are trained to do and have chosen .
All the talk I've heard today on the radio about having no sympathy with protestors who associate with trouble makers ,makes me really mad .
I guess no one should ever try and make their point of view by demonstrating peacefully .
After all ,they're associating with trouble makers aren't they ?
And they can just walk away from them ,can't they ?
Except when you're contained as one huge group by the police you can't can you ?
And never mind - the police have meeted out their punishment .
You think you can join a group of people with the intention of peacefully protesting ?
We'll soon put you off that idea ,you're associating with troublemakers so we'll punish you by constraining you for 7 hours .
That'll put you off doing it again .

harvalp, students, lectures, teachers and others in solidarity have been protesting in the cuts to university funding, freezing then abolishing of the grant system, introduction then increase of tuition fees for quite some years now!

gingeroots yes, I think there was a definite strategy to make people new to protesting feel as uncomfortable and frightened as possible yesterday - I assume that's why they kettled the youngest protesters as soon as possible.

Hopefully, people will be able to take heart from the impromptu out-manouveuring of the police that also happened and get more savvy.

Hope that your son is okay.

Agreed - hope you son is OK, but that he takes away from that that that people in power are not always right, that tenacity is needed (but not violence) and a strong sense of pride for standing up for what he believes in. Plus the knowledge that a warm coat and lots of snacks are useful next time he goes on another protest!

Stay strong, students.

Good for the students - standing up for all future generations - it should be all of us protesting out there it will affect our children and grandchildren. I am pregnant and so angry my child's right to an education is being taken away, and she wont have the opportunities i had - by the times shes's 18 you will need a loan bigger than a mortgage,and education will only be available for the richest. Graduates generally earn higher wages then people who didn't go to uni, and therefore pay much more tax into the system in a fair way in the long term. The tuition fees system is a barrier to free education for all. I sincerely hope this new legislation is not passed by this evil government.

Oh well, at least no-one will ever fall for the Lib Dem lies again.

If nothing else, all those pissed off with Labour who voted Lib Dem this time won't make that mistake again...

harvalp - spot on about the 'useful idiots'

Only read Wednesday's OP.

Have they let them out yet?

I think so.

Hi, my daughters (18, 16 and 12) were involved in the protests in Sheffield and Leeds. the younger two organised a walkout of school and joined with the university students and they'll be doing it again on tuesday (although think that will be the last one).
The reason I've posted is that lots of parents, friends etc want to show their support and so there's a country wide day of action on Sunday 5th December - at the weekend so that everyone can join in. the facebook group for this is

www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/event.php?eid=172969552731286

and there is also another facebook group set up by a parent

www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Parents-against-the-uni-fee-increases-and-removal-of-EMA/178728745470731

really hope everyone will go for it!