NUS thugs must be arrested and thrown out of their unis

[longfingernails]

Criminal damage, arson, assualt - even attempted murder (throwing a fire extinguisher into the crowd from the roof). This is unacceptable behaviour.

I am disappointed that the police didn't have a grip on the situation.

The only good thing to come out of all this is that it will totally undermine support for the NUS and Labour. The new solution isn't perfect but takes all the important steps. It is a vast improvement on the current situation.

This will increase support for the anti-government feeling.

They are not thugs they are students (people's children). They are standing up for their beliefs. You just want to whip up feeling against them because you are a reactionary Tory.

Are you Gove (or his minion)?

There is nothing wrong with protesting, peacefully.

Invading private property, breaking glass, arson, and attempted murder are "standing up for their beliefs"? Well, I think their beliefs are rather mistaken then.

I will draw the line at the right of democratic protest well before that, thank you very much.

And no, I am not Gove or his minion, though I think his ideas are superb. The teachers' unions are even more damaging to Britain than the RMT, in my opinion.

OP, your last paragraph is so wrong it's funny

Agree with Riven and BBG.

Come on OP ... you are Gove's assistant aintcher?

Riven Well they look like students to me.

www.elpais.com/fotogaleria/Asalto/sede/Tories/elpgal/20101110elpepuint_2/Zes/2

O yes, I can spot a student at ten paces me
Anyway they can't be students. Not a single Jack Wills hoody in sight.

If I were Gove's assistant, I would be trying my best to help our children by breaking the NUT and NASUWT, instead of talking about politics on MN!

No, the reality is that I have a fairly ordinary (though economically productive) job in the private sector.

Well good job your talents are confined to putting the Tory viewpoint on Mumsnet then Longnails!

From the radio report it sounded as though thugs (whether students or not) were spoiling what should have been a peaceful demo. They interviewed a nice girl student who was going home because of the nastiness.

Well they are the right age to be students, certainly. Given it was at a NUS demo, attended by tens of thousands of students, it is not a massive leap of faith to suppose that they are students!

Tra la la.

It's hardly Armageddon I don't normally condone damage and violence but a lot of young people voted LibDem(my daughter included and never again - she says) and feel betrayed.

"Perhaps they were members of the Bullingdon club."

The multicolour scarves, dodgy haircuts, Converse-style trainers and upturned jeans add weight to my hypothesis

Don't worry longfingernails, if you have your way there'll be 2 very distinct student uniforms, the Bullingdon Club tie at one end and the dirty, hungry-looking folk in rags at the other

"they're the right age for students"

PMSL - I have a NUS card - bet you wouldn't guess I was a student if you saw me walking down the street, especially if I had my DS's in tow.

"Converse-style trainers and upturned jeans add weight to my hypothesis"

bugger x posted with you - maybe you would then as if I'm wearing my converse (pink as well) I have to turn my jeans up because I struggle to find jeans with short enough legs to wear with flats

Scary, Riven! :)

I seem to be shaking my head a lot at how bonkers things are lately.

Shakes head at OP.

Riven That is an outrageous slur!

If I could be the voice of any newspaper, my choice would almost certainly be the Times.

They are unlikely to be students-anarchists always turn up to these things