USI Galway Student Protest
galway |
rights, freedoms and repression |
news report 
Friday November 19, 2010 00:36
by TD - Free Palestine Campaign
Carpe Diem!
Today, in Galway, the Union of Students in Ireland intensified its ongoing campaign against threatened registration fee hikes and cuts to the student grant in the forthcoming budget with a march of some 2,000 students from NUIG - another is planned for Cork in early December - to Galway city centre via University Road, Eglington Street and Shop Street to the Spanish Arch plaza, where the demonstrators were addressed by several key speakers. including USI President, Gary Redmond, NUIG SU President Peter Mannion and GMIT SU President, Colin Canny.
This protest was marked by the palpable anger of the students against the dimming of their futures by a government of rotting, treasonous pedigree and the looming nightmare of having to take the Ryan Air flight of sorrow to work abroad, but also with a sense of empathy and solidarity with the most vulnerable in Irish society about to be savaged in an inhuman budget by an elected outfit without conscience or morality. FEE (Free Education for Everyone) was heavily represented and highly vocal in its condemnation in the weak leadership of USI president; Gary Redmond who in the words of NUIM IFUT Branch Committee is heavily contaminated with “shameful betrayal” for his Pontius Pilate disavowal of the students who were savagely brutalised and injured by a police force which has clearly opted to control through unbridled force rather than consent as evidenced in the batonfest in the Dept. of Finance two weeks ago.
The condemnation was most vocal from noted activist; Yousuf Loughnane, a NUIG Irish Center for Human Rights Masters student,and auditor of the NUIG student Palestine Solidarity Society who is not noted for suffering fools gladly. By the same token, Redmond was warmly greeted by the students at the Spanish Arch, a warmth he lamentably squandered by not effecting some form of a mea culpa, thus attenuating the contempt and anger that I witnessed against him and the USI at the 600 strong student protest against Garda brutality outside Pearse Street Garda Station last Wednesday night week.
This careerist, manque politician is incapable of doing a carpe diem it seems.?
Caption: Video Id: 6vOAWr6SH30 Type: Youtube Video
Part 1: Galway Student Protest 18 11 2010
Comments (6 of 6)
Jump To Comment: 1 2 3 4 5 6Part 2: Galway Student Protest 18 11 2010
Caption: Video Id: z8z950BU0Wk Type: Youtube Video
Part 2: Galway Student Protest 18 11 2010
In a heartening move, Dr. Kelly Davidson has given solid support to the Dept. of Finance protesters and short shrift to the likes of Ferdinand von Prondzynski.
Hi,
I would just like to add my name in support of the letter of solidarity issued by the NUIM IFUT Branch Committee to those students who took part in the Dublin demonstration on 3 November.
It has been, and continues to be, a privilege to know and work with a number of the extremely engaged, ethical, socially aware and compassionate young people from my own institution who were active in the wholly legal and legitimate actions of civil disobedience that have subsequently been so misrepresented in the mainstream Irish media.
That Ferdinand von Prondzynski has criticised both the students involved and those academics who support them simply points to the growing disconnect between those who have had authority conferred upon them to represent third level education in the public arena, and those of us who are dealing with the reality of privatisation, and rationalisation on the ground.
As the NUIM IFUT letter states, such criticisms indicate a shameful betrayal of the principles of education, and of the staff and students that any third level ‘President’ is engaged to serve.
With very best wishes,
Dr. Kelly Davidson,
TUI member, IADT Branch
The Independent is reporting that: Students at Dublin City University (DCU) have voted by a huge majority against re-joining the Union of Students in Ireland (USI).
Apart from DCU, the other colleges outside the national union are the University of Limerick and Cork Institute of Technology.
At the end of this RTE newscast (start at 7:10), Yousuf can be witnessed doing his stuff for Free Education for Everyone.
FEE salutes him. http://www.rte.ie/player/#v=1085178
In a report in today's Irish Times by Lorna Siggin's titled Students march in Galway pre-budget protest, her last sentence struck and dismayed me: A grouping from the Free Education for Everyone Galway movement asked to speak at the rally, but said its request was turned down. What's happening here.? This seem to be overt censorship.? Would anyone from the Free Education for Everyone Galway movement care to comment.?
Bad form on behalf of USI not letting a FEE member address the crowd, considering, FEE put in a lot of work to get NUI Maynooth reaffiliated to USI last year.
Indymedia Ireland is a media collective. We are independent volunteer citizen journalists producing and distributing the authentic voices of the people. Indymedia Ireland is an open news project where anyone can post their own news, comment, videos or photos about Ireland or related matters.