IRISH STUDENTS CLASH WITH RIOT POLICE IN DUBLIN

Dublin students demo rows with cops and attacks Dept of Finance
| 03.11.2010 19:11 |
Riot police attacked students in Dublin today with dogs, armoured vehicles and horses after the students protesting against government cuts occupied the Department of Finance and threw eggs at the Dail.

Upwards of thirty students occupied the Department of Finance in the centre of Dublin with a couple of hundred supporting them in the streets outside.

Another larger group of students was reported outside the Dail throwing cans & bottles at it. Several students seem to be injured in the suppression of the protest.

Tens of thousands of students are demonstrating as part of the USI protests against plans to introduce fees, these students carrying out the occupation appear to have broken away from the main demonstration which is taking place around the corner in Merrion square. Student members of the WSM, eirigi and the SWP are at the scene. (pic via indymedia.ie )

It has been reported that eggs were thrown at the building and that four Gardai horses soon arrived on the scene. Thousands of students had marched from Parnell Square to Merrion Square, where they were to addressed by student leaders, among them Union of Students in Ireland President Gary Redmond.

The registration fee is expected to rise to 2500 euro, a rise of 1000 euro. USI says this will force thousands of students will be forced to drop-out.

Shockingly USI distanced itself after the Gardai attack on the protest not from the police violence but from the student occupation, with a statement that said "USI is saddened by the actions of a small minority of people who staged a sit-in protest at the Dept of Finance, shortly after the USI protest march today. This anti-social behaviour was completely separate from USI’s demo." The statement did not say what, if any, mandate they had to issue condemnations of their members and will be likely to raise a considerable outcry at USI congress this year. It reflects a long pattern of conservative USI leaders being elected in quiet periods who get left behind as student militancy sweeps past them

A WSM reporter at the scene said that "The numbers outside the Department are still growing as people come up from the other at the Dail. There are now maybe four hundred on Baggot Row. The Dail was egged and bottled by a breakaway march of about a thousand, many of whom are here now. The Department is also being egged." Inside the Dail, Ciaran Cannon reported on Twitter that empty bottles, cans, several eggs and a sliced pan had been thrown.

Further updates came in from our three reports on the spot as follows
"Some of the crowd outside are now trying to push through the doors to get into the Department, a line of Gardai are trying to push them back" (14.35)

"Riot vans are being brought up, students are now throwing eggs at these" (15.05)

Horses used against protest in Dublin"Line of horse cops trying to clear the streets, totally surrounded by sitting students now. Well over five hundred on the street, can't see more. Line of cops in front of the building too" (15.12)

"Riot cops have now formed a line, there is a sit down protest in progress in front of them. The students occupying the building have been got out, kicking. " (15.15) - this cut off with the word people, see below

"At least three students have been injured. Cops are hitting people on the head with batons" (15:24)

"Seems gardai are gaining upper hand, crowd dispersing, someone put up a free beer poster"(Johnny Fallon at 15.26 on Twitter)

"They batoned lines of people, dragged away a lot of people but at least some were just thrown outside the cordon rather than arrested. Now they're forcing people away with a line of riot police. At least one person was injured in the eviction. Sorry for the last text, was getting smacked" (15.28)

"Riot cops, horses and a dog have forced everyone back down towards Stephen's Green. Still at least a hundred people facing off with the line of police on Stephen's Green, they are being run back. We have just been charged by horses" (15.40)

"About three hundred folk outside the dail, just leaving now. Things seem to be quieting down now. Reports of some arrests, unsure on that point" (16.00)

Reports on offical state media (RTE) published an hour after these clashes were first reported here on wsm.ie reported the deployment of mounted Gardai and armoured vehicles and that "Violent scenes are continuing between a large number of riot police, gardaí and students. Some students have bloody noses and one student has been carried away, possibly unconscious." but went on to claim that "Some students have expressed deep upset at the outbreak of violence."

In advance of the protest Free Education for Everyone (FEE) had issued a call to meet up to form a Socialist bloc at The Ambassador Theatre. FEE said defeating the cuts "will only happen if students like you get involved." and describes itself as "an active campaign against fees and youth unemployment that strives to organise second and third level students right across the country. It is currently organised in UCD, Trinity, Maynooth, NUIG, UCC and UL. FEE has organised a series of protests, blockades and occupations against fees. FEE members are actively involved in their Students’ Unions as well as building FEE.We are aiming to build a mass movement that can defeat fees and education cuts. "

This morning the Taoiseach refused to say in the Dáil if third-level fees would be introduced or capitation fees increased in Budget. Brian Cowen said it was imperative that all areas would be considered for reductions and no area could be ringfenced or immune to cuts.

The last major student march was in 2008 when 15,000 people demonstrated and this led to the promise not to reintroduce fees. USI are saying 25,000 have marched today while Gardai claim there are 12 to 15 thousand on the streets.

Homepage: http://www.wsm.ie/c/students-storm-department-finance-dubin
http://www.wsm.ie/c/students-storm-department-finance-dubin
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STUDENTS OCCUPY GOLDSMITHS UNIVERSITY LONDON


STUDENTS angry at a rise in tuition fees have occupied one of their university buildings and plan to stage an all-night protest.
Around 50 students marched into the Deptford Town Hall building, part of Goldsmiths University, with banners saying ‘They say cut back, we say fight back’.
Earlier today, Universities Minister David Willetts announced that universities in England would be able to charge up to £9,000 per year.
A lot of the annual fee rise, up from £3,290, will replace funding that was cut in the Comprehensive Spending Review.
Goldsmiths Student Union campaigns officer James Haywood said the protestors planned to stay in the building, which contains senior management offices, all night.
Mr Haywood said: “It’s not just about the tuition fees. It’s about the cuts.
“Senior management has made it clear they support the increase in fees. They’re refusing to join our campaign.”

http://savegoldsmiths.tumblr.com/

http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2010/11/467368.html
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FRANCE ...MORE STRIKES AGAINST AUSTERITY

"The political bankruptcy of the existing parties and organizations is a historic challenge to the working class. In struggling to bring down Sarkozy’s government and block implementation of social cuts, the goal cannot be to bring to power a PS government. They must fight to build a workers’ government carrying out socialist policies, as part of an international struggle against capitalism in Europe and worldwide.
The WSWS has called on workers and youth to create their own committees of action to coordinate their struggles, independent of the unions and bourgeois “left” parties. Readers in France are invited to contact the WSWS to help build a party in France to lead the fight for this perspective."
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France: More strikes, opposition to social austerity


3 November 2010
Continuing strikes in the airline sector and calls for student resistance to President Nicolas Sarkozy’s pension-cutting law, after the defeat of the oil strike last week, pose more sharply than ever the need for an open and conscious political struggle against the government.
With his disregard for popular opposition—most prominently the oil strike by port, refinery and transport workers, some of whom struck for over a month—Sarkozy has made clear that he intends to push through the cuts, come what may.
Backed by the “left” parties, the unions have called off the oil strikes and made no move to protest police strike-breaking, despite polls showing 65 percent support for continuing strikes against the cuts. The pension cutting bill was officially voted into law last week and is now being submitted for a constitutional review.
Working class opposition has run into a wall of resistance from the state and the entire political establishment.
Significant sections of workers and students are continuing strike action. Air France pilots and flight attendants will strike from November 5 to November 8 against cuts in their benefits packages arising from the Bill on Financing Social Security in 2011 (PLFSS 2011).

http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2010/11/467341.html
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TUBE STRIKE IN LONDON

Tube unions branded Transport for London "barefaced liars" after its management attempted to claim minimum disruption during today's 24-hour strike.
London Underground services were crippled by strike action called by the RMT and TSSA over safety-critical job cuts.
All 11 of the capital's Tube lines were hit by the walkout, the latest in a series of strikes over plans by TFL to axe up to 2,000 jobs including 800 station staff.
The mood on the picket lines was one of determination, RMT London regional organiser Steve Hedley told the Star.
"There are less stations open today and less trains running, so from our point of view it's all going very well," he said.
"The response from commuters has been very positive. The commuters are not stupid. They know what this is about - job cuts and safety."
Transport for London claimed that more than 40 per cent of Tube trains were operating yesterday morning despite the strike.
But RMT general secretary Bob Crow said: "Rather than resorting to bare-faced lies about what everyone out there in London knows to be the truth about the disruption to services, TfL should face up to the reality that today's action has actually been the most successful to date and get the message that the time has come to stop cutting and start talking."
Mr Crow also condemned attempts by management to brush the union's well-founded safety concerns under the carpet.
He said: "The attempt to belittle and denigrate our members and to play down the safety issues at the heart of this dispute has definitely hardened our resolve and that is shown in the magnificent support across the network for the action today."
Speaking at a joint press conference today, both unions said they did not want to disrupt the holiday season with more strike action.
A fourth strike is planned for Monday November 29 but TSSA leader Gerry Doherty said: "Although our members will make the final decision, I will not be urging them to take any action during the festive season.
"Our argument is not with Londoners and the travelling public, our argument is with Boris Johnson. We do not want to disrupt families during Christmas or the New Year."

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