MANITOU: International Students' Day: Greece, Italy and Beyond

Donnerstag, 18. November 2010

International Students' Day: Greece, Italy and Beyond

17th November 2010: Protest March of Pupils and Students in Rome, Italy

On the eve of today’s little known World Philosophy day (which this year coincided with the official closing of the world's biggest religious event, the Islamic Hajj, the annual pilgrimage of Muslims to Mecca), yesterday's International Student's Day was celebrated worldwide in at least a dozen countries with political manifestations, marches and other actions. Fidel Castro honoured this day with a long speech to the Cuban youth, and so did the Speaker of the Armenian National Assembly with a congratulary address to the students of his country. At Osmania University at Hyderabad (Andhra Pradesh, India), the de facto headquarters of the Telangana movement, which fights for an independant Federal Indian State, riots and clashes with Special Police units erupted late on Thursday after a protest rallye. At least 20-30 students are believed to have sustained serious injuries. In Europe, nationwide and high-spirited protests took place in Italy and Greece, where the demonstrations of Wednesday were also - as in Hyderabad - marked by a particular national agenda.

This is especially true for austerity-ridden Greece, commemorating on this 17th november traditionally the bloody 1973 anti-dictatorship uprising (which ringed in the end of the then military junta). Here several ten thousands students and teachers, workers and pensioners marched through central Athens, while another 12,000 protesters joined a rally in Thessaloniki. This year the focus of protesters’ anger was Greece’s international creditors: the European Union and the International Monetary Fund. Activists said, the Athens march was the most intense and populous demonstration the Greek capital has seen since May 5th. It was accompanied by battles of youths with the police (which went on until late in the night), but also by clashes between activists and the youth branch of PASOK, the social-democratic party in power (here a video from Thessaloniki). 48 protesters were detained according to official statements. Police also reported clashes in the southern city of Patras.

In Berlusconi-plagued Italy around 200,000 young people in 100 towns and cities took part in the forceful protests against austerity cuts and the privatisation of education, leading to rail occupations or traffic jams and bus and train cancellations in many of them. The Milan city council said the demonstration there had been marred by vandalism, with graffiti scrawled on walls, shop windows smashed and trash strewn across streets. There are also reports about activists squatting university spaces or schools (and these occupations seem still going on).

Osmania university erupts again over Hyderabad’s free zone status (Daily News & Analysis, India)

Violence again near Osmania University campus in Hyderabad, India (The Hindu)

Students protest at Osmania University (Press Trust of India via NDTV)

Students protest cutbacks in school system (Iceland Review)

It's International Students day! (Jamaica Observer)

Students planning to step up protests at tuition fees (Camden New Journal, London)

National Students Protests Wednesday 24th November (Indymedia UK)

Statement of Solidarity from Greece for U.K. students (Void Network via Anarchist News)

Greeks march to mark 1973 revolt, protest austerity (Reuters, with Photos )

Greek Riots; Protesters Clash With Police At 1973 Uprising Anniversary March (AP & The Huffington Post, with Photo Gallery)

"The IMF is not an image on your TV screen”: report from tonight’s demo in Athens (Indymedia Athens via From the Greek Streets)

Athens Polizei gewinnt 17. Riot (Indymedia Germany)

Vandalism, disruption as students protest cuts, reforms - Associations say 200,000 took part in nationwide demos (ANSA)

Italian students protest reform, budget cuts (AFP via Gulf Times)

Scuola, tagli e riforme: in 200 mila per dire no (Indymedia Piemonte)

Gli studenti invadono Milano: 17 Novembre verso Lo Sciopero Generale (Indymedia Lombardia)

Manifestazioni in tutta Italia: Scuola scende in piazza, cori contro Berlusconi - Fumogeni a Montecitorio (Corriere della sera - Picture Gallery)

17 novembre: una nave pirata nel mare normalizzato del movimento studentesco (CSOA Mercato Occupato Bari)

Hundert Demonstrationen in ganz Italien gegen Bildungsreform (DPA / Europe Online)

Bozen: "No Gelmini Day" - 500 Schüler demonstrieren (Südtirol News)