reclaim education #2

On November 3rd the Union of Stu­dents Ireland (USI) called for ademonstration against an increase inregistration fees (£3,000) for uni­versity students. In the end up to40,000 people flooded the streets.Students from Free Education forEveryone (FEE) and the Students inSolidarity (SIS) network issued a callfor a clearly visible left­wing pres­ence at the demonstration calling for

free access to education for all! Theyunderstood their block as part of the"Global Wave".More than 2,000 people made up the"Left Block" and joined a breakawayfrom the main demonstration, whichfirst headed to the Irish Parliament be­fore going to the Department of Fin­ance. About 40 students staged asit­in inside the lobby. After sometime police managed to force every­

one out of the building, after doing sothey attacked by riot police (Gardai)the crowd in front of the ministry us­ing shields, batons, dogs and horses.Several protesters suffered head in­juries, one student was knocked un­conscious. A few were arrested.One week later about 700 people tookto the streets of Dublin to protest thepolice attack.The next protests against fees havebeen announced for November 18th.for further details:www.free­education.info

About 50,000 people from across theUK came together for a demonstra­tion in London to protest plans tomassively cut public spending and thetrippling of tuition fees (£9,000 peryear). Hundreds arrived by bus from

as far as Scotland, travelling a wholeday to get to the capital.The cuts are expected to hit the artsand humanities hardest, as fundingfor science, medicine and engineeringis likely to be protected. Faculties that

are unable to at­tract third partysponsorships arelikely to bethreatened withclosure. Only theindividual and so­ciety at large, butno company northe state have aninterest to pro­mote critical sci­ences. At thesame time stu­dents are put un­der increasingpressure to study

something which has a high "marketvalue" (on the labour market), so theyare more likely to be able to pay backtheir debts.Towards the end of the demonstrationthousands of protesters took over theheadquaters of the Conservative Party(Tory), the Millbank Tower. Fireswere lit in front of the building, eggswere thrown and windows weresmashed. Hundreds went inside andoccupied the place for half a day. Agroup occupied the roof top and re­leased a statement warning that "thisis only the beginning".Police forces were totally over­whelmed by the energy and determin­ation. Nontheless there were somescuffles and in the end 14 people hadto be taken to hospital. Towards theend of the day remaining protesterswere kettled by police forces in frontof the building. Many were hand­

cuffed, 35 people were arrested for arange of offences, including criminaldamage and trespass.Currently groups across the UK arepreparing for a day of action on

November 24th.Details on the website of the "Na­tional Campaign Against Fees andCuts" (NCAFC): www.anticuts.com

Monday, 15th November 2010 vol.01 issue.2

This newsletter is part of the communication infrastructure of theindependent platform "International Student Movement" (ISM). The ISMis being used and shaped by education activists and groups around theworld who are struggling against the increasing privatisation of publiceducation and for free emancipatory education for all.This newsletter is the result of voluntary work done by a few individualswho are passionate about this issue. The positions expressed are not inany way representative for any group or the "International StudentMovement" as a whole.

For further details:website: www.emancipating­education­for­all.orgcontact: united.for.education@gmail.com

demonstration in London

international student movement

About this newsletter

Dublin: Gardai attacks Demonstration for Free Education

London: 50,000 resisting the Privatisation of Higher Education

Reclaim EducationNotes on the global struggle

November 17 marks the InternationalStudents' Day. The date commemor­ates the anniversary of the 1939 Nazistorming of the University of Pragueafter demonstrations against the occu­pation of Czechoslovakia. More than1,200 students were taken and sent to

concentration camps; and nine stu­dents and professors were executedwithout trial on November 17.The International Students' Day wasfirst marked in 1941 in London by theInternational Students' Council andthe tradition has been kept up by thesuccessor International Union of Stu­dents, which seems to have dis­scolved in the past few years as well.This yearNovem­ber 17will alsobe a highlightof the "GlobalWave of Actionfor Education".The "Global Wave"kicked off on October 7andalreadysawmassiveprotestsfor freeeducationin Aus­tria, Italy, the Ukraineand U.S.A. among others. It is beingcoordinated on the independent plat­form "International Student Move­

ment" and will see protests againstthe increasing privatisation of educa­tion and for free emancipatory educa­tion for all at least until the end ofnovember around the world. The"Global Day of Action" unites all theprotest actions on November 17linked to the "Global Wave of Actionfor Education". Check out the box onthe left side for some of the protests

on thismemor­able

day.It's crazy

how we all facethe samesymptoms

causedby thecur­renteco­nomicsys­temaroun

d the world.It's about time that we start acting to­gether!!~ one world ­ one struggle ~

l e a r n i n g u n i t n o 4 2 3 1 5

November 1stA group of activists at the University of Marburg (Germany) hang a ban­ner right at the Faculty of Social Sciences to inform students about the on­going "Global Wave". In the same context the group is preparing the "1stMarburg Forum for Education", which will take place inside the facultyand consists of presentations, discussions, a film room and workshops aswell as a concert with four bands in the evening of November 20th.

details: www.bildungsstreik­marburg.de

November 11thFor the second time the anarcho­syndicalist student labour union "DirectAction" and the "Foundation of Regional Initiatives" organised a protestas part of the "Global Wave" against the commercialisation of education.This time hundreds of students gathered for a rally in front of the Ministryof Education and Science.

details: www.direct­action.org.ua

~ Global Day of Action ~* Monrovia, Liberia: variousgroups are organising a rally* Lisbon, Portugal: student bodiesacross the country are mobilisingfor a demonstration in the capital* Philippines: League of FilipinoStudents together with many othergroups are calling for walk­outs* Italy: various groups and organ­isations call for demonstrationsacross the country* Germany: demonstrations invarious cities, such as Gießen,Hildesheim, Osnabrück and Mu­nich (incl. general assembly) +flashmobs in Bremen* Skopje, Rep. Macedonia: install­ment on campus, a flashmob and aparty* Poland: DemokratyczneZrzeszenie Studenckie calls forflashmobs in about 10 cities* California, U.S.A.: actions toprevent the regents meeting at theUniversity of California through astatewide demonstration amongothers* Banner actions for this day areexpected in Yogyakarta (Indone­sia) and Ottawa (Canada).

Send your reports tounited.for.education@gmail.comfor more details: www.emancipat­ing­education­for­all.org

November 17th ­ a memorable day Short notes