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FREE! Issue 4 16/12/10 Showbiz Sixth Form Sport In another TGC The rise in tuition fees Greenshaw embarked exclusive Gary Mason - has been a sore subject on their second former British heavy- for most of the older football match of the weight champion - students in Greenshaw season against discusses his new see how they decided Glenthorne High career choice. to fight back! School NASTY NICK! On April 13th Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg pledged to abolish university fees. Clegg also joined all other Lib Dem MPs in signing an NUS pledge to “vote against any increase in fees”. Last Thursday however Clegg abandoned his pre-election pledge and ignored the pleas of desperate protesters and his own MPs as he proceeded to vote in favour for the rise in tuition fees. Thousands of angry students took to the streets in protest of the proposed cuts but were the efforts in vain? Nick Clegg: Confused? CHRISTMAS EDITION! It’s December, this can only mean one thing - Christmas is nearly upon us! The Greenshaw Chronicle team have been so excited and full of festive spirit that as an early gift to you lot, we’ve decided to add an extra four pages to this edition! So sit back and relax with a cup of mulled wine and a mince pie and enjoy the paper! Molly: The Greenshaw Chronicle’s new mascot? Tuition Fee Trauma! Protesters took to the streets on December 9th , campaigning against the proposed tuition fee increase as they chanted, danced to portable sound systems or huddled around small fires made from burning placards, but at 5.40pm, as news of the MPs’ decision reached the crowds gathered in Whitehall, events took a turn for the worse. Within an hour, the small confrontations that had been contained all afternoon erupted into more violent ruckuses, as windows were broken, statues were vandalised and police were attacked. The violence spread as protesters apparently caught police unaware and moved towards Oxford Street. Whilst these horrific scenes were unfurling Protestors: Dazed and confused outside; Clegg had fled the Houses of Parliament after a mere hour of debate as were already in place in full riot gear and it However, the biggest story of the night Labour MPs jeered at him with taunts such appeared that there were more police than was not the police’s anguish or the rise in as “liar” and “Pinickio”. Clegg could not even demonstrators at that point. Police horses fees but the ‘attack’ on Prince Charles and rely on the full backing of his party as The were then used without warning to push Duchess Camilla, as their limousine was Liberal Democrats were split four ways. the crowd back. targeted as they drove through the route of the protests. As protesters noticed the royals the limo tried to force its way The police then resorted to the through the crowds as students shouted controversial method of ‘kettling’ as a “You can’t knock people down!” The means of keeping the peace, but for many limousine was then splattered with paint, this simply angered them more. Barriers, kicked, rocked and pelted by disgruntled flares, smoke bombs and even snooker protesters. The Prince and Duchess balls were hurled at police by frustrated escaped unharmed. anarchists who tried, in vain, to break free from their confinement. Those still in the square at this point were a minority of those who had marched down Whitehall and entered Parliament Square 27 Lib Dem MPs voted for the rise, including earlier in the afternoon. And as the time local MPs Tom Brake and Paul Burstow, went by and the temperature dropped and whilst 21 Lib Dems rebelled and eight the night lights came on the tension rose. abstained. Three Lib Dems even resigned in The police then opened a very narrow exit protest at the decision. at one end of the Whitehall cordon where many protesters ran to, eager to leave. Police were letting half a dozen people Six Conservative MPs also voted against through at a time, whilst hundreds of others and two abstained. However the law was Charles and Camilla fought to leave first. The weight of people still passed as the rise in fees was favoured trying to get out irritated some officers in by a majority of 21 votes. Labour leader Ed Prime Minister David Cameron stated the cordon who ‘didn’t like’ being pushed. Miliband summed up the protesters feelings that the attack on the royals was “shock- stating “This is a bad day for young people”. ing and regrettable” whilst saying “Peo- ple are entitled to protest peacefully. But this was unacceptable”. Last Thursday’s student protests were arguably more violent than their Rebecca Lawrence predecessors and resulted in the hospitalisation of six police officers and Fun Fact #1 various protesters. By 2.30pm however, An ostrich’s eye is bigger that it’s brain whilst the demonstrators were still relatively peaceful, police cordons to the road exits 2 Police Punish Peaceful Protesters It is no secret that I support the right to left out in the freezing cold with no food, protest, but the behaviour that I have water or toilet facilities provided. Protesters witnessed by a small minority of protesters, resorted to starting mini-fires in the take note - ‘minority’ and ‘protestors’ not street to keep warm and urinating on the necessarily students, is unjustifiable. pavements as discreetly as possible. School children wearing school uniform had been The media seems hellbent on portraying allowed to leave at 6pm but this message all protesters as lazy, layabout, anarchistic had not been announced so many were still students who care more about missing wandering the streets dazed and confused. lectures than the cause the protests aim to Some protesters started committing petty achieve. I’m pretty sure it’s not just me that acts of violence such as smashing windows knows this is mere fabrication. in their frustration, but the majority of the crowd was so disapproving that this soon I attended the second student protest, stopped. which luckily for me was the least violent simply watched on as violence began to of the three, and for the most part, I unfurl instead of nipping it in the bud. I also Finally we were allowed to leave, eight thoroughly enjoyed myself. At the start of wonder why a police van full of equipment hours later than I had intended and three the march the atmosphere was electric. but missing an owner was left in the path hours later than we had been told. People of different ages, races and wealth of thousands of protesting students. I am joined together for a common cause, no conspiracy theorist but I believe the van becoming a vibrant sea of colour, placards was planted there to entice the anarchistic and noise. Until we reached Whitehall. Once protesters so the police could ‘justifiably’ we entered parliament square it became behave violently later as ‘pay-back’ for the apparent that the police were determined previous protest. not to let us go any further. Nobody tried to push through and instead made the most Seeing the vandilisation I deduced that of the situation, blowing whistles, starting violence in the crowd would spread soon, chants and dancing on the roofs of bus so it was at this point, 2.30pm that I tried to stops. leave. I was told I could not. The kettling had begun. Almost half an hour later the crowds began to get restless as protesters were eager to When news of the kettling spread through move forwards. It was at this point that a the crowds thousands of people rushed to protester who had been milling around a the exits attempting to leave, it was then ‘carelessly’ abandoned police van decided that the police became violent. To escape the to climb on it. This was greeted by screams brawls between the police and protesters of approval by the braying crowd. At this I had to force my way back through the point the ‘rebel’ invited his friends to join crowds of thousands of people which All in all I thoroughly enjoyed myself at the him and they proceeded to vandalise the was possibly one of the most terrifying protest, but being kettled was definitely the van and throw objects at policemen. experiences of my life. worst experience I have had in the past few years and I do not think the police should This divided the crowd; some found the Fast-forward seven hours later – 9.30pm – be allowed to adopt this method on masses vandalisation funny, whilst the majority and thousands of us had still been denied of ‘innocent’ individuals. appeared disgusted. During this the police our right to leave and had instead been Rebecca Lawrence Fun Fact #2 An ostrich’s eye is bigger that it’s brain Fun Fact #3 During your lifetime, you’ll eat about 60,000 pounds of food, that’s the weight of about 6 elephants. Fun Fact #4 Bullet proof vests, fire escapes, wind- shield wipers, and laser printers were all invented by women. Police watch on as anarchists vandalise the police 2 3 5 minutes with... Sixth Form News Gary Mason Okay guys, so its less than a week until activities. On the plus side there was Gary Mason is a retired the Christmas holidays! But whilst a 3 day biology trip all the way too…. British boxer who fought wistfully waiting for it to all be over, wait for it … Boxhill. It rained , the food at heavyweight and let’s check out what’s been happening was awful , and some students were became British heavy- in the school.

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