Press releases

LRC statement on Free Education and 9/12 demo

13th December 2010

The LRC condemns the Coalition government for voting through the trebling of tuition fees, for abolishing the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) and the 80% cut in central teaching grant to Higher Education institutions.

We welcome the protests over the last months that have involved school, college and university students and the numerous occupations of universities , colleges and schools – and the support received by students from education trade unions and non-education trade unions alike.

We also congratulate the vibrant demonstration organised by students that brought 30,000 people to the streets on 9 December. We note that the march from Malet Street to Parliament Square was entirely peaceful and incident-free

We condemn the unprecedented levels of violence from the Metropolitan Police and call for kettling to be abandoned as a police tactic.

We call on the Labour Party to support the abolition of all fees and restoration of student grants (including the EMA) and on Ed Miliband and all Labour Party members to give their full backing to the students’ campaigns, and to join them in future protests.

The LRC will support future campaigning by students against fee rises and the abolition of EMA, and for free education paid for out of general taxation.