The protest on the liffy Broadwalk

metalish

I was at it, but had to go cause my cop supervisor said i wasn' allowed be at any more protests since after RTS. But anyway, was anyone else at it? good turn got FM 104 and TV three news, RTE there. The organisers released 64 ducks into the liffy water- no fights started

Lump

FFS, whats all that about the ducks?? Was there a point?



john

beardedchicken

how come this thing wasn't advertised? i heard absolutely nothing about any protest- if i had, i would definitely have gone! it seems to have only been hacks and students union types there. anyone know if there's gonna be another mass protest later on in the year? there definitely should be, if this thing continues! a mass protest of students from all the colleges affected would be far more effective!

by the way i think the 69 ducks represented the 69% increse that they were protesting about- not certain, but hey- seems plausible!

DadaKopf

Now I'm no Red but...

I didn't hear about the protest either - if I had, I'd have gone. In fact, I'm still not sure what it was about - I can only assume it was about the college fees.

Shame.

[EDIT]

Here's USI's press release:

USI SAY EDUCATION MINISTER DEMPSEY HAS SOLD STUDENTS DOWN THE RIVER

30 July 2002

The Union of Students in Ireland (USI) today organised a protest involving student leaders from all over the country on the River Liffey boardwalk in response to the recently announced increase in the student capitation fee.

USI President Colm Jordan addressed the crowd from a boat on the river after he had released 69 rubber ducks to symbolise the recent announcement by the Minister for Education & Science, Noel Dempsey TD, that these fees are to be increased by a massive 69%. Afterwards, the students marched to the Department of Education & Science on Marlborough Street where they submitted a letter demanding an urgent meeting with the minister. USI have vowed to continue with a series of protests until they are granted the earliest possible meeting with the Minister regarding this unacceptable increase.

Colm Jordan, President, Union of Students in Ireland said: "Having travelled the length and breadth of the country since the Minister's announcement listening to students as well as college students' union representatives there is a common theme to the opinion amongst those who will be most affected by this increase.

While there is widespread anger across the board, there is also a deep sense of disappointment that one of Minister Dempsey's first announcements will have such a detrimental affect on so many students looking to attend college this year. There is annoyance that the Minister has chosen not to consult student bodies such as USI, as they have done in the past before issuing such a decision.

Students will not have budgeted for this increase from €396 to €670 and will be forced to borrow more money either from parents already struggling to support their child through college or if they are lucky enough to be allowed to do so by their bank. The financial strain will also force them to spend less time studying and no doubt affect their academic results .

USI National Council, which is made up of Presidents from students' unions across the country, as well as USI National Officers, is to meet on 16th August. It is imperative that USI representatives meet with the Minister before this date so this decision making body can decide on the best way to progress further with the Department of Education & Science to deliver the best deal for Irish students.

USI does not believe that this is the end of the matter, and should the Minister fail to acknowledge our request he is not only ignoring the concerns of USI, but insulting the thousands of students and their families."

Robbo

The "crowd" of about a hundred were just members of various SU execs. No one bothered to advertise it.

We're supposed to take comfort in the fact that this is the first part of a "persistent and escalating" campaign...

DadaKopf

Yeah - media stunt. I thought it was good gesture.

Lump

Actually !!! I think you'll find that it was mentioned on every news broadcast on 2fm and 104 Fm, at least for a day before it took place.



John

beardedchicken

....which i'd only have heard if i
(a) EVER listened to 2fm or fm10bore
or
(b) wasn't at work, trying to stump up the cash for the aforementioned enormous hike!

Ajnag

Sorry but i remember a day where students were militant bastards in a non violent way, long before i was born.

basicly if this was the 70s come september everyone would not pay.is their a chance of this now, i honestly think this country needs a good student kick up the arse!

is there such a thing as student activism nowadays?