NUS President announces a national demonstration
The President of the National Union of Students (NUS) Liam Burns has announced plans for a national demonstration against what he describes as the “systematic attack across the board” on education by the coalition government.
The day of action is scheduled for the 21st November 2012, and will be held in London. It is the first of its kind to be called since the anti-tuition fees march in 2010, which resulted in 393 arrests after riot police clashed with students across the city.
In a video released this evening, Burns encouraged students to come together in order to increase pressure on the government. “It’s about time that we did something about it” said Burns, “it’s about time that we start setting the agenda”.
Burns sites the removal of EMA, the increase in tuition fees and the levels of youth unemployment as key grievances for students, adding that even after finishing University “getting on the property ladder is next to impossible and we don’t even have the safety net of pensions to look forward to any more”.
The demonstration has the support of student campaigning group the National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts, who will co-ordinate walk-outs in schools on the same day, and the Universities and College Union.
Leeds University Union’s new Education Officer Josh Smith told Leeds Student that “the student exec will be discussing how to to react to the announcement of the demonstration and the best course of action to support the wishes of the students at Leeds University”.
VIDEO: Liam Burns announces a national day of action for students
Author: Lucy Snow
