Thousand-strong march for education hits London

Up to one thousand students and workers marched to Downing Street today in a buoyant protest against education cuts.

The lecturers’ UCU union organised the march. Groups of protesters joined it from colleges and universities across London.

They included Hackney College, City and Islington College, University College London, Lambeth College, London Metropolitan University, Croydon College, the College of North East London and London College of Fashion.

A big delegation of Sussex university students and lecturers also joined the protest, following their »recent victory against university management.

Members of other trade unions backed the protest. The NUT teachers’ union sent its national banner. Austin Harney from the PCS civil service workers’ union spoke at a rally following the march as did Kevin Courtney, deputy general secretary-elect for the NUT.

Demonstrators marched in the road to Downing Street where they held a rally and handed in a petition condemning cuts in higher and further education.

See next week’s Socialist Worker for a full report.