Brilliant students

50,000 demonstrators defending the rights and interests of future students today set a wonderful example to the trade union movement.



Mainstream media coverage seems a bit carried away with events at Millbank (unfortunately assisted by some clueless careerist of a student politician eager to deplore violence when he should have had the gumption to stick to the message of the demo).



Since 50,000 peaceful marchers attract less media attention than a far smaller number smashing windows it's the media's priorities which help to drive people towards spectacular action.



Whilst I'd sooner it was explicitly nonviolent direct action, the correct answer to the question "do you condemn the violence?" is to condemn the Government.



The real story of today is the militant selflessness and justified anger of tens of thousands of young people. The rest of us should learn from this marvellous example.



I am all for building towards the TUC demonstration in March but - as a local government worker anticipating deep cuts and many thousands of redundancies before then - I think we shouldn't wait to March to march (so to speak).

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