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Student actions ahead of tuition fee vote

Over the coming days student action against the government’s plans to triple tuition fees, slash university teaching budgets and abolish EMA will reach a crescendo ahead of Thursday’s vote on plans to raise university fees to £9,000 a year.
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The vote rests on a knife-edge and in the next few days students will be taking part in a variety of peaceful protests and demonstrations to demonstrate to their MPs the levels of opposition to the plans.

The current planned actions include:

Wednesday 8 December 2010

NUS has called a national day of action around the country helping students’ unions to organise peaceful actions in towns and cities nationwide.

Birmingham

City centre protest

Bournemouth

Mass Christmas card and letter writing session. Students will march to the sorting office from 12pm - 2.30pm to deliver their letters

Bristol

Candlelit procession through the city centre, Bristol University SU, Queens Road to College Green – 3pm to 5pm

Coventry

Walk out at 11am, congregating at University Square, followed by a demonstration in city centre

Exeter

March from Peter Chalk Centre to a rally in Bedford Square – 11am to 2pm

Gloucestershire

March from Albert Road, Pittville Campus to Montpelier Gardens 11.30am – 12.30pm

London

Kings College London SU - Animal fancy dress tube petition gathering – 9.30am – 8.30pm

NUS Women’s Campaign suffragette and suffragist protest outside Lynne Featherstone Equalities Minister’s Office – 11am – 1pm

Royal College of the Arts march from RCA to Downing Street with letter to Nick Clegg – 1.30pm

Plymouth

Candlelit vigil Jigsaw Garden - 12.30pm

Sheffield

‘Unfair Fun Fair’ at Western Bank followed by march to Sheffield Town Hall – 12pm – 1pm

Staffordshire

Demonstration on Stafford campus Ember Lounge - 1pm

Wolverhampton

Sit up- all night political debates and discussion - 7pm to 7am

Worcester

Mass demonstration outside City Hall - 12pm

Warwick

Protest meeting outside SU marching to University House - 12pm

More actions will be added to this list as details become available. .

Thursday 9 December 2010

Lobby of Parliament – 1pm-3pm

Students from around the country are arranging to meet their MPs at Parliament to voice their opposition to the government’s plans. For details of MPs who have agreed to meetings and to arrange interview with lobbyists contact NUS press office.

NUS/UCU Rally on Victoria Embankment – 1pm-3pm

An estimated 10,000 protesters will be gathering on Victoria Embankment to hear speeches from student representatives and representatives of all major trade unions. The rally will include a ‘candlelit’ vigil around the time of the parliamentary vote.

The rally is due to be joined by a protest march that will have gone through central London.