Bradford Students Day of Action Against Cuts

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Bradford College Student speaks out about the threat of EMA cuts.

Students take to the streets in Bradford; Trade unionists, pensioners and priests join forces to combat impending attack on education and public services.

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Sometimes, the full horror of a life-threatening situation takes time to become apparent. The classic case of the frog in a pan of slowly heated water comes to mind. Only when the water is boiling around it does it realise the time for action has passed and it is cooked. For students in Bradford, the water is approaching scalding:

The people of Bradford came out in force today, to support the college and university students on the Second Day of Action Against Fees and Cuts. After a day of hardcore agitating amongst the students of the University of Bradford and Bradford College, the Lollipop Ladies led a march through the university and college to Centenary Square, where they were joined by trade unionists, pensioners and collected concerned citizens. The demo was organised by the Bradford People's Coallition Against Cuts, a broad group opposed to the impending massacre of public services. The turnout of students was disappointing to some, prompting a spontaneous mass phone attack of the Bradford Uni Students Union to ask why only one of the elected Union Sabbatical Officers was attending the demo.

However, hope was soon restored as a wide range of Bradfordians stepped up to the megaphone of truth, including a representative of Age Concern who talked of how the Con-Dem government's attack on housing benefit will be further forcing older people to make a choice between heating and eating. A University and College Union representative spoke of the need to extend the struggle across all areas of work, raising the idea of a general strike to topple this farcical government of millionaires and liars. One of the most inspiring interventions of the day came from a young college student, who joined the march as it passed down Great Horton Road. She took to the mic to shame the government over how the cut of the Education Maintenance Allowance would stop her being able to continue her education, as she had the added responsibility of being a young carer. Inspired by the injustice and roused by a chap with a guitar, the people of Bradford briefly occupied Bradford College, before having a sit in at the Bradford Uni Atrium. On return to the Students Union, the demonstrators were bemused by the sight of their elected sabbatical officers, the defenders of students, enjoying the warmth and fun times on facebook (except the Ethics, Environment and Welfare Officer, who relentlessly struggled all day).

College and Uni students met after to cook up some more recipes for action, and will be meeting again on Sunday the 5th at 2pm in Student Central of Bradford University. All welcome who oppose the cuts and the sale of education.

The feeling was that this was a decent start to student action in Bradford against the cuts, but much more needed to be done to hammer home how screwed Bradford students will be if the proposed reforms of Higher Education funding and Further Education support are passed. If one thing was proved today, it is that there are many people in Bradford who believe that the market and privilege should not determine our chances in life. Students take heart that these people are behind you.