Support student protesters against victimisation

We need unity to defend education and break the Con/Dems attacks

Stand with the protestors against victimisation
Hands off our students, our colleges and our universities
Broken windows cannot compare to the broken hearts and dreams of a generation denied education and jobs

Wednesdays national NUS/UCU 50,000 strong national demonstration was a magnificent show of strength against the Con/Dems savage attacks on education.

The coalition want to make swingeing cuts, introduce 9,000 tuition fees and cut EMA. These attacks will close the doors to higher education and further education for a generation of young people.

During the demonstration over 5,000 students showed their determination to defend the future of education by occupying the Tory party HQ and its courtyards for several hours. The mood was good-spirited, with chants, singing and flares.

Yet at least 32 people have now been arrested, and the police and media appear to be launching a witch-hunt condemning peaceful protesters as criminals and violent.

Regrettably, NUS President Aaron Porter has condemned these events as a despicable attempt by a small minority to hijack a peaceful protest. A great deal is being made of a few windows smashed during the protest, but the real vandals are those waging a war on our education system.

We reject any attempt to characterise the Millbank protest as small, extremist or unrepresentative of our movement.

We celebrate the fact that thousands of students were willing to send a message to the Tories that we will fight to win. Occupations are a long established tradition in the student movement that should be defended. It is this kind of action in France and Greece that has been an inspiration to many workers and students in Britain faced with such a huge assault on jobs, benefits, housing and the public sector.

We stand with the protesters, and anyone who is victimised as a result of the protest.