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On the matter of student protests
Friday, 10 December 2010 09:44 | 
Written by paulzolo | 
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Yesterday saw the controversial government plans to up student fees get past a vote in the House of Commons, Even through there was a reduced government majority, the result is clear: if you go to university you could run up a massive debt.
Again, London saw heated demonstrations - with students in a state of anxious flux egged on no doubt by various anarchist groups who were there not to protest the fee rise, but to push their own more violent agendas. There were street battles and kettling, property damaged and police injured. The Christmas tree in Trafalgar Square - a gift from the people of Norway to thanks us for our help in World War II - was set alight.
The media lapped it up - rolling 24 hour news channels had men on the ground, wearing police issued helmets, reporting from the fray. By the time it got to the 10pm bulletin on the BBC, I was expecting a full analysis of the events, with comments from the various sides stating their views. The politicians would decry the violence, but support the right to peaceful protest, the police would blame minorities out causing trouble, and the students would give their ambiguous replies. The NUS would condemn those who used violence, and distance themselves from the demonstrations, but students on the ground would be more keen to condone it in ambiguous terms.
Then this happend: Prince Charles and Camilla’s car was attacked. The picture of the day showed the two looking quite shocked - a wake up call perhaps. Not all is well in the Kingdom, and the peasants are quite clearly revolting. The news attention shifted. This was now the headline, this was the focus of the events. The BBC ran this atop of the story they had clearly planned to be to leader. They had the establishment condemning the attack, being deplored, angry, regretful etc., as they are duty bound to be.
It is hardly surprising that they did become a target. It’s not as if the anarchist groups would see the royals as friends, quite the opposite, and their rich chums in the Conservative party have just managed to add to the burdens of those who don’t have the deep pockets. The royal family is the symbol of wealth and they got where they are not through some benign process, but though a history of opression, violence and thuggery.
The Royals are fawned after by the press so much that they became the story. Charles and Camilla became London personified. Their car windows smashed, paint thrown, the establishment rocked a little by the action of the plebeian crowds. The armoured car clearly did its protective job, and as the show continues as before.
The media will no doubt refocus on the events of the night, and there will be enquiries into how the riots got so out of hand and the police’s tactics and planning. The media will be more keen on how two royals got caught up in this, and sadly, this will further distance the events from the motives of the majority of students who were there to protest peacefully about the raising of tuition fees.
Whitehall will start to be cleaned up today. The windows will be repaired, the graffiti will be removed, but the result of all this will be a clamp down on demonstrations in London in the future. However, there are stains on the events of December 9th 2010. Some are political, and some are more lowly and base.
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Last Updated (Monday, 13 December 2010 11:27)
