Revolting

In England the Students finally are revolting. The government have agreed to scrap a limit on tuition fees, and university will now be out of the grasp of most, despite what the Tories say. Fees have tripled for most. Education for educations sake is now the preserve of only the very rich, and everyone else must take vocational courses - it's like we're back to the bad old days of Unis and Polytechnics. People say the ladder has well and truly been drawn up behind people like me, the final year to not pay fees, but I'm wondering how I'm going to support my future kids through this.

On the news I see footage of angry young people throwing paint bombs and missiles and slightly startling Royals. From the safety of my living room I find it exciting. I was a political young person and I feel pleased to see young people giving a shit about really important stuff.

On the news when we see small mobs creating chaos and destruction they tell us that it is a small band of people who came to the protests determined to cause trouble and may not even be as interested in the issues as they pretend to be. Of course. I knew lots of people like that growing up - misguided anarchists and rebels without a clue and people who just wanted to dance on top of a bus stop. They 'ruined' many peaceful protests I attended. But hasn't there been people like that at every protest in time? Outside, rattling the gates of Versailles and the Winter Palace I daresay there were more than a few who weren't actually that bothered or personally effected by the specific issues, but just fancied a bit of a riot. Possibly it's actually those people who make regime change happen, given their unthinking enthusiasm for things like charging gates and defenestration.

'What do we want?'
BLARGH!
When do we want it?
NOW!'

Mostly I am excited by seeing people use their right to protest in a free-formed way. Labour used the cover of anti-terrorism and health and safety to reduce the rights of the populace to protest to that of a well-organised ambulant Church fete.