Sheffield Demo Condemns Police

9 DECEMBER 1988 HAPPY CHRISTMAS ETC TO ALL OUR READERS N GOODBYE, BIG '0' No support Sheffield demo from LUU Exec by Paul Hartley ails for Leeds University Union condemns police cto support last Wednesday's demonstration in Sheffield everal thousand against loans and students marched police violence failed to peacefully through s produce any tangible the centre of Sheffield results. on Wednesday to protest against police Kerry Dean of the violence as well as to Revolutionary Com- munist Party wanted the Union Executive to sanc- Words and tion financial and official support for the protest. pictures It aims to voice opposi- tion to the promised in- TOM SYMONDS troduction of loans and offer support to the 32 Sheffield students, ar- continue the anti-loans rested amid violent campaign. scenes, at an anti-loans They included students from demonstration in the ci- Leeds Poly and University. ty on the 1 6th of The march was accom- panied by a heavy police November. presence with officers walking Other universities and on both sides of the road. polytechnics, including There was no repeat of the Leeds Poly and Bradford violent scenes in Sheffield and and Manchester Univer- on Westminster Bridge a few sities, have decided to weeks ago. • Sheffield Wednesday crowds A rally was held later m support the demon- Barker's Pool Square outside enemy within," said speaker police who remained standing much we don't want student observers. Clare Molley at the stration. Sheffield City Hall where an Annette Taberner and she in large numbers at the back loans — you know that microphone shouted "So it is anti-loans demonstration three went on to stress the need for of the rally. already. Its the Torries we true that pigs can fly." Initially LUU Executive weeks ago erupted in violence student solidarity in the face of "We're not going to put up should be fighting." The demonstration organ- also refused to allow the and resulted in the arrests of the Government. with you treating us like shit. Towards the end of the ral- isers are continuing to RCP to have a stall in the 32 Sheffield students. We are going to fight back," he ly two figures were sighted on highlight the plight of the Shef- "Isolated and divided we union promoting the Although it had their the shouted. the roof of the Cole Brothers field students with further pro- can't win but united we can," cause, on the grounds it support, the NUS did not Clare Motley. another Shef- department store opposite the tests. They plan to picket the she argued. would be a fire hazard. recognise this protest. a fact field arrestee, voiced the anger City Hall with a telescope. Ac- court hearing of the students which many speakers were Paul McGarry, one of the of the students overthe companied by cries of "jump, which have 'very coyly' been Administration angry about. students arrested on the earlier Government's loans proposals. jump" from the crowd, who scheduled for the vacation Secretary, Mike Green, The NUS are the new demonstration, addressed the "I don't need to tell you how thought they were police period. explained why there had been a narrow decision against supporting the action. "There were fears that the campaign's emphasis on police violence detracted too much at- tention from the loans issue and raised the pro- spect of further violent scenes." he said. The timing of the demonstration also created practical pro- blems, which made it dif- ficult to organise support for an event that has only managed to sell six tickets at Leeds Poly. Mike Green said that with hindsight the demonstration did de- serve union support, but that by the time this conclusion was reached it was too late. Kerry Dean Believed support wasn't for- thcoming because the march had an anti-police angle and it wasn't a NUS initiative. • Police forcibly removed a banner held by protesters along the march's route TV - p2 NEWS - p3, 4, 5 NUS CONFERENCE REPORT p6, 7, 8 THE FAN - p9 SPORT -- p10, 11, 12 NEWS NUS set date for next dem Another mass demonstration should be held in London in protest against the governments proposals on student loans. That was the conclusion reached at last weekend's NUS Winter Conference in Blackpool. N.U.S. Press Officer Tim Walker said that the next demonstration could involve up to 40,000 students, more than twice the estimated number at last month's protest which caused traffic chaos in the capital and violence and arrests as police attempted to clear students from Westminster Bridge. Walker told Leeds Stu- though Ms Adams ex- • London coiling dent: 'The next demon- onerated students from all stration will be arranged blame for the disturb- in close liason with the ances. police. Although Feb- 'What the police did ruary 1st seems the most was outrageous: she said. NUS activists likely date at the mo- 'They didn't particularly ment,• they may in fact care whom they hit, they just wanted to ensure that students wouldn't come by Kamal Ahmed back. But there is no way target banks by Rochelle Ford that the N.U.S. is going to the counters of the case against loans. force us to have the organise an illegal NUS and so was allowed The Woodhouse Lane demonstration on a demonstration which xtreme sections of the NUS are advocating in Westminster where a branches of Barclays and weekend. the occupation of banks and building could result in more peo- 'demonstration' would not Lloyds refused to comment Ms sarah Adams, the pie ending up in hospital. have been permissible so Esocieties as the next move in the fight against loans. on the possibility of facing N.U.S. Vice President Ms Adams said that the close to parliament. The this kind of action. responsible for welfare, N.U.S. had called for a number of students pre- One strategy would in- ing the accounts. Other an- NUS moderates would said that February 1st public inquiry into the sent meant it was involve urging students to tagonistic tactics would in- prefer to concentrate on would be the ideal date police action and if the queue to open accounts volve daily withdrawals of lobbying MP's and exerting evitable that the police pressure on parents to sup- because it was the last Government refused then would decide that the pro- with small sums of money less than a pound and and then immediately clos- lengthy explanations across port the student campaign. day for responses to the the Union would set up its test had become a Government's White own independent inquiry. 'demonstration' and Paper on loans, 'We want to piece decide to intervene. Dave Hampson, L.U.U. , together what happened Although the N.U.S. is also planning a national If you look to Germany.. General Secretary, corn- that day: she said. Tim mented: '1 will be W1lker added: petition of Parliament, is by Karon Thornton with severe spending cuts in eanwhile, the loans scheme introduced in staff. libraries and equipment pushing as hard as post- 'We will be putting asking parents to lobby Last year's staffing levels ble, bringing as much in- more pressure on the their M.P.s and has agreed West Germany in 1983 is continuing to dwindled to the 1975 level, fluence as 1 have to bear, Government for an in- to stage a 24 hour shut- mcause student frustration. whilst students 'have been seen down of educational The country's 1.5m undergrads ty funding. carrying folding chairs to lec- for a march on February quiry. At the moment we have so far staged sleep-ins, sit- The number receiving state tures, using opera glasses to 1st. It is an important are in the process of col- establishments, the Ex- ins, lecture boycotts and snowball subsidies has halved, whilst the decipher distant blackboards, time in Parliamentary lecting evidence about ecutive is being critized fights with the police in protest 78 universities can only provide and wickedly hiding library terms to get this issue last months events: for fighting the campaign at declining living and studying accommodation for 50% of the books to prevent fellow students using only stickers, conditions. unexpectedly booming student from using them' recognised. Dave Hampson corn- Generally competitive- population, forcing nine out of An emergency fund of DM2 During the conference mented that the problem posters, information packs minded and unpolitical, Ger- ten into private accommodation, billion (5700 million) was an- the N.U.S. Executive was with the November 24th and lobbies. 'Loans will many's students have always (where wily landlords are putting nounced by Chancellor Helmut criticized for its handling protest was that it was never be defeated by been resentful of the loans plan up their rents). Kohl last Friday, and recommen- rallies' one delegate said. introduced in 1983, as well as As well as overcrowding, dations for a 50-50 grants-loans of last month's lobby, termed a 'lobby' by the continuous cutbacks in unversi- students are also having to cope scheme are being discussed. 14 BOAR LANE LEEDS 1 TEL 438961 BOOKS Looking for gift ideas? make the ideal gift for all the family. We•ve almost 500,000 of there In es Leeds rod Harrogale trenches 11 ". 4 Reference ;/ti'. Religion Gardermxl Atlases • Hobbies " , - • V wuua •• They're bound to be on cir shelves! AUSTICKS HEADROW BOOKSHOP 91 The lieadroto, Leeds LS1 6LJ Telephones (0532) 433099/439607 CLOTHING, SHOES & ACCESSORIES Leeds Student 9 December 3 NEWS Police give Xmas Hampson banned from Union burglary warnin by Dave Hobbs eith est Yorkshire Metropolitan Police have booklet with advice for Hampson, MP issued a warning to students of the risk women on personal safety, for Leeds North- of seasonal burglaries.

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