A national demonstration in favour of free education has been called for Wednesday 19 November in central London. The protestors aim to demonstrate their opposition to tuition fees and steps towards privatisation in education.
Occupations and other forms of local action are also being planned to occur in conjunction with the demonstration.
The protest seeks to bring together a coalition of student groups and campaigns from across the country. Amongst the groups that have so far come out in support of the protest are the National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts (NCAFC), the Student Assembly Against Austerity, the Young Greens, as well as some local university campus groups, such as Defend Education Birmingham.
The planned demonstration follows the National Union of Students passing a motion in support of free education, at its annual conference in Liverpool in April.
Beth Redmond of the NCAFC said, “Four years on from the election of the Coalition, it is clear that fees have failed. Whole areas of higher and further education are now off limits to anyone without rich parents, and education workers are being squeezed, sacked and outsourced. We are calling this demonstration to take the fight to the government and to demand a public education system that serves society and is free and accessible to everyone.”
James Elliott, a student at St Edmund Hall and member of the NCAFC National Committee, said, “Oxford students should have every reason to attend what could be one of the biggest demonstrations since 2010. Given our Vice-Chancellor’s appetite for £16,000 fees while cutting his cleaners’ pay packets, we should join with the rest of the student movement and demand an education system that is free, public and democratic.”
Oxford Activist Network member Xavier Cohen said, “I expect that the Oxford Activist Network will overwhelmingly vote to support this demonstration and campaign in common rooms for funding for transport so that Oxford students can protest en masse for free education.”
MASSIVE NEWS: a coalition of groups is calling a NATIONAL DEMO FOR FREE EDUCATION on November 19th…. http://t.co/jLxR1PxQ5K
— Against Fees & Cuts (@NCAFC_UK) July 2, 2014
