UK Police Attack School Children and Pregnant Woman

Students again demonstrated in London on November 24 to protest tuition hikes and cuts to low income student subsidies. There were at least 10,000 protesters in London, including many school age children who cut classes to join the protests. Demonstrations also occurred in Manchester, Sheffield, Winchester, Cambridge and Leeds. High school age protesters were worried that they won’t be able to afford college and would be consigned to low paying jobs for the rest of their lives. They were also protesting the government’s plans to end the Education Maintenance Allowance, which helps low income students stay in school after the age of 16.

The cops were extremely heavy handed, using truncheons on pregnant women and children under the age of 18. They charged protesters on horseback. They also used a tactic called Kettling, where they encircle protesters and hold them captive without food, water or the use of toilets for hours at a time, in effect imprisoning them without charge or due process. Some children were still being help by police after midnight in near-freezing conditions.