#Demo2012: Students Threaten To Break From 'Tame' NUS Protest And March On Parliament | HuffPost

'It Is Our Right To March On Parliament'

Lucy Sherriff— The Huffington Post UK

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A group of students is dismissing plans for a peaceful protest and threatening to march on parliament, after describing the #Demo2012 rally as "too tame".

The National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts (NCAFC) is calling for a "feeder march" for the national demonstration, which takes place on Wednesday and has been planned specifically to avoid Westminster.

The current route, which was devised collaboratively by the National Union of Students (NUS) and the police, begins in Temple Place at 11am and culminates in a rally at Kennington at 2pm.

The demonstration route will see students marching from Temple tube station to Kennington

When the route was released in October, the NCAFC voiced its disagreement, tweeting:

Liam Burns, president of the NUS, has already defended the planned path, saying it was engineered to avoid the Conservative headquarters at Millbank, which saw some of the worst violence during the 2010 protest.

"I think we’ve done everything we can to negate violence," he said in an interview earlier this month. "All of our students' unions are quite clear about this being a peaceful demonstration. I think we've set the tone right.

"For me the reason that violence will never form a part of this campaign is that it doesn’t make sense tactically. You want public sympathy on your side; violence is not going to engender public sympathy."

Charlie Gilmour, son of Pink Floyd guitarist David, became a figurehead for the 2010 march, which erupted in violence

Michael Chessum, organiser of the NCAFC, released a statement revealing the group's plans and students' dissatisfaction at the official route.

"Many thousands of students and activists across the country are dissatisfied with the route of the NUS demonstration, which fails to meaningfully pass the centres of power which are attacking students and ordinary people," he said. "If the only right to protest that students are being offered is in irrelevant locations, that is no right to protest at all.

"It is essential that we remain strong and concerted in the face of this attempt to stifle the freedom to demonstrate. It is our right to express dissent.

"The power of any social movement is in the streets. We want to march on parliament on Wednesday: we urge students to join us, and we urge the police to allow us."

Chessum claimed the group had met with police, who were threatening to ban the students from marching through Parliament Square.

A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police told the Huffington Post UK:

"We are aware of the [NCAFC's] plan to march but we have not banned anyone from protesting in parliament square. Obviously there will be an appropriate police force present."

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#Demo2010 Violence

(01 of22)

In this Thursday, Dec. 9, 2010 photo a protestor kicks at the window glass of the Topshop store on Oxford Street, as part of a break away group from the main protest against the increase in university tuition fees, in London. British lawmakers on Thursday approved a controversial plan to triple university tuition fees with a narrow margin as some government legislators rebelled amid violent protests outside Parliament (credit:PA)

(02 of22)

In this Thursday, Dec. 9, 2010 photo, photographers take pictures of sheeting attached to a metal barrier surrounding the Norwegian Christmas Tree in Trafalgar Square, London that was set on fire by protestors as part of a break away group from the main protest against the increase in university tuition fees. (credit:PA)

(03 of22)

Charlie Gilmour, the son of Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour, is seen participating in a demonstration in central London against government plans to triple tuition fees. Police filed charges against Gilmour on Thursday Jan. 27, 2011 for his role in last month's violent protest against the British government's decision to raise university tuition fees. (credit:PA)

(04 of22)

British students light up flares during a protest in central London against government plans to triple tuition fees (credit:PA)

(05 of22)

Police officers form a line during a protest against an increase in tuition fees on the edge of Parliament Square in London, Thursday, Dec. 9, 2010. Police clashed with protesters marching to London's Parliament Square as lawmakers debated a controversial plan to triple university tuition fees in England (credit:PA)

(06 of22)

Police stand guard of the Norwegian Christmas tree, in Trafalgar Square, London (credit:PA)

(07 of22)

Mounted police officers clash with protesters a students demonstrate outside the Houses of Parliament in London in a protest against increase in tuition fees (credit:PA)

(08 of22)

British police officers in riot gear charge students as they push them back during a protest in central London against government plans to triple tuition fees (credit:PA)

(09 of22)

British police officers try to hold a line during scuffles during a protest by students against government plans to triple tuition fees, in central London (credit:PA)

(10 of22)

A flare is thrown at police during a student protest against the increase in tuition fees, in London, Thursday Dec. 9, 2010. British lawmakers on Thursday approved a controversial plan to triple university tuition fees with a narrow margin as some government legislators rebelled amid violent protests outside Parliament (credit:PA)

(11 of22)

Protesters and police officers clash during a protest against an increase in tuition fees on the edge of Parliament Square in London, Thursday, Dec. 9, 2010. Police clashed with protesters marching to London's Parliament Square as lawmakers debated a controversial plan to triple university tuition fees in England. (credit:PA)

(12 of22)

Protesters and police officers clash during a protest against an increase in tuition fees on the edge of Parliament Square in London, Thursday, Dec. 9, 2010. Police clashed with protesters marching to London's Parliament Square as lawmakers debated a controversial plan to triple university tuition fees in England. (credit:PA)

(13 of22)

A demonstrator breaks a window at the Treasury in central London following a protest by several thousand British students against government plans to triple tuition fees,Thursday, Dec. 9, 2010. (credit:PA)

(14 of22)

Protesters and police officers on horseback clash during a protest against an increase in tuition fees on the edge of Parliament Square in London, Thursday, Dec. 9, 2010. Police clashed with protesters marching to London's Parliament Square as lawmakers debated a controversial plan to triple university tuition fees in England. (credit:PA)

(15 of22)

British police medics carry an injured protester away, as thousands of students demonstrate outside the Houses of Parliament in London Thursday Dec. 9, 2010, during a protest against an increase in university tuition fees (credit:PA)

(16 of22)

A mounted police officer pushes protesters back during a protest against an increase in tuition fees on the edge of Parliament Square in London, Thursday, Dec. 9, 2010. Police clashed with protesters marching to London's Parliament Square as lawmakers debated a controversial plan to triple university tuition fees in England. (credit:PA)

(17 of22)

A police officers kicks a demonstrator during a protest against an increase in tuition fees on the edge of Parliament Square in London, Thursday, Dec. 9, 2010. Police clashed with protesters marching to London's Parliament Square as lawmakers debated a controversial plan to triple university tuition fees in England. (credit:PA)

(18 of22)

A protester kicks the window as some thousands of students gather outside the Conservative Party headquarters in London, Wednesday, Nov. 10, 2010, during a protest against plans to increase student tuition fees and cut university funding. (credit:PA)

(19 of22)

A demonstrator kicks in a window of Millbank Tower, housing the headquarters of the Conservative Party, during a protest in London Wednesday Nov. 10, 2010, against an increase in university tuition fees. (credit:PA)

(20 of22)

A protester smashes the windscreen of a stranded police vehicle, as thousands of students protest against a rise in university tuition fees in Whitehall, London, Wednesday, Nov. 24, 2010. Several thousand students protested against government plans to triple tuition fees, two weeks after a similar demonstration sparked a small riot. College and university students across the country held marches and sit-ins to oppose the decision to increase university fees to 9,000 pounds a year, a key plank in the government's deficit-cutting austerity measures. (credit:PA)

(21 of22)

Protesters dance as they burn their placards as thousands of student protest against tuition fees at Whitehall in London, Wednesday, Nov. 24, 2010. Thousands of British students protested Wednesday against government plans to triple tuition fees, two weeks after a similar demonstration sparked a small riot. (credit:PA)

(22 of22)

A protester poses for pictures next to a fire set by other protesters following a march by thousands of students protesting against tuition fees in central London, Wednesday, Nov. 24, 2010. Thousands of British students protested Wednesday against government plans to triple university tuition fees, and there were sporadic scuffles with police, two weeks after a similar demonstration sparked a small riot. (credit:PA)

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