Generation X2

See also the commentary of Edward Fullbrook on the Real-World Economics Review Blog

Violent scenes at a London townhall meeting, as UK braces for more student protests

29/11/2010 - While British students prepared for their third and biggest education cuts protest day (on Tuesday 30th November), there was fracas and fury in a Southeast London borough, Lewisham, where around 400 protesters tried to force their way into a local council meeting which was to decide about spending cuts. We document here the article from the "Socialist Worker Online" about this event:

"Riot police attack protesters at Lewisham Town Hall

Around 400 people rallied outside Lewisham town hall this evening against plans by the Labour run council to make £60 million cuts. The protest, organised by Lewisham Anti-Cuts Alliance, was boosted by a large feeder march of university students from Goldsmiths College.

After a rally many people rushed into the town hall to voice opposition to the cuts. Around 100 protesters managed to get in.

Police then attacked the protesters with horses, dogs, riot shields and truncheons.

One eyewitness, an NUT (National Union of Teachers) member, told Socialist Worker, “The police were like animals. The beat people with their truncheons and even attacked a 72 year old pensioner.”

A student at Goldsmiths, told Socialist Worker, “We marched down from the college and people joined us. We recognise the need to demand not just a future for students but for everyone.”

“Then they denied us access to the town hall and police attacked us, grabbing people by the hair and the neck.”

“It shows how little democracy there really is.”"

See also

Photos of the anti-cuts protest in Lewisham (Socialist Worker Online, UK)

Fracas and fury as Labour Lewisham approves cuts package (The Guardian, UK)

Students plan third and biggest education cuts protest (The Guardian, UK)

Day X2 - Next wave of student protests (Anticuts.org, UK, schedule of planned actions)

Student Protests Test U.K. Coalition Government (Wall Street Journal, New York)

Police warn students against violence (Reuters, UK)

Central Websites with updates about ongoing protests are

Anti Cuts Protest - Publicising Resistance To Tory Cuts

FeesProtest.com (lists & map of protest mini-sites, twitter feeds)

http://www.indymedia.org.uk/

Militant protest against austerity cuts in central Berlin

26/11/2010 - More than 300 activists tried on Friday to storm or infiltrate the Parliament Square around the Berlin Reichstag where deputies had to decide about austerity cuts. Although acting in several little swarms and affinity groups (and using the so-called Five Finger Tactics practised already at the Heiligendamm G8 protests), they were violently pushed back by massive police forces in riot-gear. So they floated afterwards to the Headquarter of the ruling Christian Democrat party (CDU) which was beleaguered and harassed for some time.

Inspired by the Italian student protests the days before, some protestors employed red shields to defend themselves against the cops (photos here). According to the police two persons were arrested under the allegations of breach of public peace and infringement of disguise interdiction.

The actions around the Parliament occurred out of a demonstration of around 1,000 striking pupils and a protest march of 4,500 people, the latter organized by a reformist-left, union-near political alliance.

According to press reports the Police had mobilized around 1,700 forces, dogs without muzzle and helicopters. Before, the state had edicted a demonstration ban for the whole Parlament Square under the pretext of terror warnings.


See also

4500 protestieren in Berlin gegen Sparpaket (Indymedia Germany, with photos and links)

Demos gegen das Sparpaket: Mit der Fingertaktik an der Polizei vorbei (Der Spiegel Online, Germany, with video and photos)

A group of demonstrators tries to break through Tiergarten, a central Park, near the German Parliament

Photos:

Sven Becker / Spiegel Online (oben)

Bildagentur Frontalvision.com / Turus.net (unten)