Students Protest Against Increase In Capitation Fee
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news report 
Tuesday July 30, 2002 20:38
by Paul Murphy - Socialist Youth
syucd at hotmail dot com
085 7238161
Over 150 students took to the streets on Tuesday 30th of July in a USI protest against the 69% increase in capitation fees for third level students.
Over 150 students took to the streets on Tuesday 30th of July in a Union of Students in Ireland (USI) protest against the 69% increase in capitation fees for third level students. This was a very impressive turnout given that students are currently on holidays and the demonstration was organised at very short notice, and showed the anger of students at this re-introduction of Third Level Fees by the back door. Around half those present were local Students’ Union and USI Officers, but nonetheless the mood was for serious action against any fees for education and Joe Higgins (Socialist Party T.D.) received a warm reception for his speech condemning the fee increase as a serious attack on access to third level education.
After the protest, an organising meeting was held to discuss where to take the campaign now. The mood here again was very militant with radical action against the fees being argued for by most. In order to turn this radical rhetoric into effective action, rank-and-file students must be mobilised against any charge for education. For this reason, the Campaign for Free Education is in the process of being launched by a number of different groups and individuals, with the aim of uniting all students across the country in a common fight against any barrier to access for education.
To subscribe to the Campaign for Free Education discussion group, send a blank email to campaignforfreeeducation-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.
Comments (8 of 8)
Jump To Comment: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8aces,we got on rte 6.1 news. and good job colm jordan on the radio. with the right mix of officialdom , anarchy , sitdown , jumperoo , we can cook us a great big cake for eating.
it will be like christmas in our institutions EVERYDAY,with thoughts being not controlled, but shouted , and all people eating rasberry pies - not just tony o rielly and his big pie that he cant fit in his mouth
phew , that was hard work (note emmet o' no dissin repos here,were all happy)
Everyone should have access to third level education without FEES, the reality is that working class people are rather thin on the ground. As for the protest, a bunch of middle class prats playing with plastic ducks. They don't have a clue what's it's like in the real world. Typical USI stunt.
Andy why don't you get up off your arse and get a part time job and then you can afford the third level fees but then you're a typical working class dossing layabout no good trouble maker. Get a life Andy.
KM
Demand the impossible
You have not mentioned the basic point that Andy made, working class people are rather thin on the ground at universities in this country. I doubt very much if you would have found many working class people at the duck launch, perhaps you were there yourself, but then since you are royalty, that would not be surprising.
The 10:09 King Mob ain't me.
If you're going to go around abusing my name please at least ape my ideas.
Most students on maintance grants already have a job arsehole. Many may have to look to getting a second job to see them through college or drop out. The grants fall absurdly short now, never mind the price hike, and this thinly veiled pathetic attempt to bring them back is loathsome.
Impressed you got students together in the summer and good coverage in the news, keep up the good work.
Cool, are there any photos available for those of us not able to attend yesterday?
Lads - this thread does not have to ascend into bickering and squabbling - lets just use it to discuss the issues and where we're going with it.
I suppose all interested join the mailing list and we can keep the communication links through the country open.
I reckon we should have a big student meeting at ecotopia...but not many people yet have been really up for it - I suppose ye're all nice and cosy up in Dublin and afraid to budge from there ;o)....well it will be the perfect place to plan any actions and loads of people there who have already organised super successful campaigns throughout Europe ready to give us advice....
Anythoughts on that?
While the march was a success in and of itself, we can't let the action against this fascist government stop now.
If we wait for USI to organise anything, we'll all have graduated before they even issue a press release.
Thats why, we in the NUI Maynooth SU have to decided to act. In the next few weeks we'll be organising an occupation of the department of Education and we won't be living until this in reversed.
If you are interested in getting involved, please e-mail us at students.union@may.ie.
Is it NUIMSU official policy to catagorise the FF/PD governemnt ad fascist? Fascist is a very precise term which describes a particular type of extreme right wing government which rests itslef on the petty bourgeois and lumpen elements. I would not call FF/PDs fascists, they are right wing.
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