Skip to content or view screen version

Over a thousand on the streets of Oxford protesting against public sector cuts

oxford education network | 28.10.2010 19:26 | Education | Public sector cuts | Oxford

Over 1,000 people of Oxford gathered on the streets today to express their anger and refusal to accept the public sector cuts, in particular those to higher education. The gathering was made up of students, academics and citizens of Oxford.

|A group of over 1,000 citizens of Oxford marching down Broad Street in Oxford towards the Radcliffe Camera made an impressive sight, chanting and venting their anger at the cuts to the public sector, in particular those to higher education in the wake of the Browne Report. The march was originally intended to demonstrate to Vince Cable, due to visit Oxford today until he pulled out, the public anger at the cuts.
Following a brief march around the square those attending were not content to have their route and protest dictated by the police and so decided to continue past the agreed route. As the march progressed along its new route there were several attempts made to stop it from continuing, each of which was met with successful, peaceful attempts to walk through the police lines. Eventually the group succeeded in getting onto Cornmarket, attracting much attention from passersby and demonstrating the strength of feeling against the cuts, only to be met by a reinforced line which was successfully broken as protesters made their way to the Examination Schools on the High Street.
As protesters gathered outside the Examination Schools, which had been the original target of the march as Vince Cable was due to speak there, several short statements were made in support of the march and protesters dispersed peacefully into the streets of Oxford. One arrest was made after the end of the protest.
The march was an example of the strong anti-cuts sentiment in Oxford, displayed in the diversity and number of those who attended.

oxford education network

Additions

more detailed report.. this one is simplistic

29.10.2010 00:38

This report is technically accurate but glosses over the divisions within the crowd between those who were keener on escaping police control in order to have a broader public impact and those who wanted to sit tight and be obedient while hypocritically making militant speeches.

Also, it glosses over the fact that not everyone was helping to break the police lines; this only happened because of the hard work and risk-taking of a small minority of the crowd. The more times it happened successfully the more people joined in the next time though, which was nice to see!

A less simplified/sanitised report is here:
 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/oxford/2010/10/466984.html
...but please add your own if you were there!

yowtastic


Comments

Hide the following comment

1000 citizens

28.10.2010 23:29

Exactly; citizens: subjects of the state, fearful that their masters may dechet them. Fighting to protect their government/society/social hierarchy system thing, dependent on it for their every need. Granted, The care workers, the doctors, but don't forget; the police, the QUANGOs, The performance analysts (analists)
Where are the textile machinist
Where are the forge masters?
Where are the turners and linishers?
Where are the miners?
Fucking China and brazil.
If you are a citizen, you ARE in a state:)

"We are all in it together" as David Camaron said.
I didn't create the mess and I'm not going to be a slave to the system to save it.

anarchist