what a shocking and disgusting sight!

[Bobbisox]

We knew we were in for cuts by this Government but to see students lighting fires outside Tory HQ and smashing the windows of Millbank Towers in London is, quite frankly, sickening, it's like looking at mob rule, what they expect to achieve by their thug-like actions, I don't know!
(Sky News)
[Edit: Inserted Breaking News & Comment From Twitter - Spare Ed]

[Bobbisox]

whatever you political leanings, you surely don't want violence of this nature to rule lcg76 ?

[Gromit]

I wrote on another thread just on Monday...

// It was crazy policies like this that had them rioting on the streets 30 years ago, some politicians never learn. //

I fear worse is to come.

[magma]

When you ain't got nothing you ain't got nothing to lose.

[socket2008]

A couple of managers and myself were talking about all this earlier and have decided to stop taking on students as a result. We would rather maturity over thuggish behaviour.

[Zeuhl]

Good user name Magma!

:-)

[anneasquith]

you may just need to take a deep breath......................the majority of the violence will have been commited by the "rent a mob", genuine student have the right to hold a demonstration, as do we all if we disagree about somethiing, there will have been thousands of peaceful demonstrators today,,,,but the media have no interest in showing that.

[sophie_1003]

Not sure if this has been mentioned already but reports state that the violence was from a small group that broke off from the main march; probably people who went to start violence rather than violent students.

[sophie_1003]

Also; Sqad- it used to be a privilige before government policy, schools and colleges focused all their efforts on pushing students towards uni; now it's seen as necessary to get a good job. I was told by a Connexions adviser that if I didn't go to uni I would only get a job in a warehouse or retail; this is despite me telling him I would quite like to do a more vocational course!

[Zeuhl]

Socket - Bit random that decision

as sophie reminds us:

<<reports state that the violence was from a small group that broke off from the main march; probably people who went to start violence rather than violent students.>>
.

[jules77]

I am appalled by the lack of respect to property and the law..........and they want more of the tax payers money, its a joke.

[anneasquith]

typical knee jerk reaction, assisted by the media, quad, 80% of kids now attend university...................... where did that information come from ?

[MickyMacgraw]

Im with Zeuhl on this regarding socket2008's comment.
Why on earth would you penalize the whole university population who I'm guessing 98% are of good stock for the actions of a few on a rare occasion?

[Bobbisox]

I am sure there are the mindless few who have caused this, there were nice decent young people walking away in disgust, sad thing now is, Students won't get a deserved ear to listen to their cause through what's happened, people will only think of the violence and not the 'peaceful demo' that was intended.
My question is, "How did the

[Bobbisox]

Met Police not see what was going to happen?
Apologies for the break in typing, hit the wrong key

[jno]

that Twitter feed is an eyestrain, but here's one that's just been posted on it:

Remember, breaking the law never achieved anything! Apart from Universal suffrage, repeal of the poll tax, US out of vietnam, etc

[pastafreak]

It would be naive to think students would be the primary instigators of this violence. There will always be 'professional' demonstrators-anarchists if you want to call them that-who will get on any anti-government bandwagon if it suits their agenda. And they are not going to worry about how THEIR actions will then influence the nations opinions of those who are expressing real worries about where this government is taking the country.

What bothers me about this thread is seeing how many posters express so many very negative feelings about Uni students. How many of you ACTUALLY know any? Or have / had children at University?

[eyethenkyew]

"Shocking" ? "Disgusting" ? "sickening" ? Oh, come on, have you just come down on the last rain shower? Why are you in shock? Been living on planet Zog?

Regrettable? Yes. Unacceptable? Yes. Criminal? Yes.

But please, don't over-egg the pudding with exaggerated hand wringing "outrage".

It's obvious, allow thousands of people to demonstrate and the inevitable outcome is that it will at some point degenerate into total ratsh*t. The only ones entitled to get all aereated about it are the Police who have to deal with the unwashed scumbag perpetrators.

Nobody else really gives a t0ss. It's called apathy and false chagrin - get used to it - it will only get worse as the financial cuts hit home - we're all in it together up to our necks - no point pretending to be self righteously outraged about it. Not as if it wasn't coming. All this false pretence and exaggeration - good God!

[MickyMacgraw]

I totally agree with you pastafreak, we cannot allow ourselves to ever tar many with the same brush due to the actions of a few. This is surely something that we should've all been taught in primary school or retaught as an adult according to some of the posts here.

[mollykins]

I know someone that went to that, although I doubt he'd do anything illegal.

[Dris]

I mentioned 'rent a mob' in my post just about 5 into this thread.Im surprised that anyone is surprised to be honest.Do people not take the time to read others posts before laying claim to that train of thought? Of course it was going to end like this and anyone who thought otherwise are living in cloud cuckoo land.