Amazing photos of London protest

[RadicalTexan]

from Boston.com, always a good source for photos - many more at link:

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/12/london_tuition_fee_protest.html









("Imagine All the Students, Living Life Debt Free")

[nadinbrzezinski]

1. WOW

[Polly Hennessey]

2. London Riots

Outstanding photos.

[malaise]

3. A new generation wakes up

and about time. Love the V mask.

Rec

[oldtime dfl_er]

4. Brilliant photos

of an incredible day.

[MindandSoul]

5. These are great pictures. . .and "they" say that socialist countries freedom of speech is repressed!

[Cal Carpenter]

7. The UK is socialist?

Wha??

[MindandSoul]

16. I hope that is "sarcasm?" Duh!!!

[Cal Carpenter]

18. Are you seriously saying the UK is socialist?

My comment was not sarcasm.

The UK is not a socialist country.

[MindandSoul]

21. If you adopt the term "socialism" as so many right wing people, confusing it

with "communism," No, the UK is not "communist!"

And it is obviously a Monarchy!

However the government is run as a social democracy (like most European Countries) and it is easy to figure that out if you consider their social framework, their social programs, and the safety net that has been in place for so long.

How do you call a government who provides:
National health care, free for all
Monthly child benefits (recently suspended for 2 years for higher incomes)
Free schooling (until recently, very inexpensive university fees)
Strong unions
4 to 6 weeks paid vacations
strong labor laws made to protect employees when they are laid off (i.e., long termination notice and extended unemployment benefits)

So. . .what do you believe UK is (not just in name. . .but in actions?)

And, by the way, I am all in favor of social democracies! Having been raised in one, and having lived in 3 different countries with this kind of social safety net. . .including 4 years in England.

[Spider Jerusalem]

19. The UK isn't a socialist country.

Despite the postwar nationalisation of some industries, it never really has been in any meaningful sense. (And the Labour Party dropped any pretence to socialism when Blair became leader in 1995 by removing Clause IV, which had to do with collective ownership of industry by workers through the state, from their constitution.)

[MindandSoul]

23. I disagree with you. Having lived there for 4 years, I can assure you that

whatever their official "system" may be, the UK functions very much as a social democracy. . .and the parties just switch places every few years or so!

For what I am concerned, the main attributes of a social democracy is not the "majority party affiliation," that changes too often. It is in fact the depth and breath of the safety net available to its people.

Obviously, you may disagree with me. You may even quote some "official" statements, but having lived extensively in countries that offered those safety nets. . .and having lived extensively in this country that DOESN't offer a safety net for most people. . .it leaves absolutely no doubt in my mind!

[Spider Jerusalem]

24. I live in the UK.

"Social democracy" != "socialist". Just because we have the NHS here doesn't make the UK a socialist country. But then the US is extremely right-wing by objective standards and a lot of Americans have a pretty misinformed idea of what "socialist" actually means.

[MindandSoul]

25. Believe me, if the States had half the safety net that UK offers, over 50% of the country

would scream, not only "socialism," but "communism!"

But I am interested in what you call your system today. . .both the "official" label, and what YOU believe it is.

[Spider Jerusalem]

26. A principally capitalist parliamentary democracy with a mixed economy.

That's both what I'd call it and mostly what the 'official' label would be--and again, the US is so far out of the mainstream and way off to the right of Western democracies generally that what Americans might consider 'socialism' isn't really relevant to the discussion, since it's not socialism as a dictionary or a political scientist or anyone who knew what they were talking about would define it. Words do actually have agreed-upon meanings, after all.

[MindandSoul]

29. Yes, I can agree with that. And you are certainly correct about the U.S. having a very skewed sense

of what socialism might be!

Most people, for exemple, would never believe that Capitalism could exist in a social democracy. . .and it does.

Now, I probably mispoke when I said that England was socialist. . .what I met to say was that the broad safety net and most of their labour laws are congruent with a social Democracy. . .which obviously includes the element of capitalism and encourages free enterprises.

Just as a matter of information. I lived in England twice (2 years each time, both times in Surrey. . .Weybridge and Lightwater), in France 3 years (Versaille), and I was raised in Belgium.
However, in the last 8 years, I have not lived in Europe, but I visit family there (mostly in Belgium and Italy) every year for about 2 months.

[tavalon]

36. Truthfully, most of what the average American thinks they know about their own and other

country's political system is higher than what they actually know. Across the board, with some shining exceptions, we are a nation of stupid people. Dumbed down by many things, but some of it is willful - a belief in our exceptionalism against all proof.

[Kennah]

6. I am fascinated by this image

What gives with the little white cross on green on the policeman's baton?

Is it part of a warning label: In case of riot, stick up the ass of the nearest protester?

[muriel_volestrangler]

10. Well, it's a first aider sign - there's one on his helmet too

But while I can see why you'd have one on his helmet in case someone needed who to get, I can't see what makes a first aider's baton any different from a standard one - it's unlikely to be softer ...

[Liberal_in_LA]

15. is that a roll of black duct tape on their left shoulder area?

[Kennah]

20. Good eyes

It's for duct taping busted heads back together.

[MorningGlow]

8. "Dumbledore would not put up with this shit"

:rofl:

[Catherina]

9. Powerful photos. The last one is my favorite. Rec'd n/t

[upi402]

11. Shit, meet the fan n/t

[Rex]

12. That first photo is simply amazing, what a picture.

It should be sent far and wide around the world. The only time you see Americans do this is whenever someone wins a pro sport championship! Which is sad in it's own right.

[girl gone mad]

13. "Imgine all the students, living life debt free..."

^^^^^
^^^^^

This is what real hope and change looks like.

[Liberal_in_LA]

14. great photos. Is the guy being carried by the cops injured?

[TexasObserver]

17. If that happened in the USA in 2010, the country would be in lockdown.

We invented protests, but now we have FBI busting down doors of peaceniks in preemptive actions.

Our forefathers knew how to throw a protest. That was our country's birthing.

[Starry Messenger]

22. k&r

[ExTheUnknown]

27. That's a riot, not a protest

Most students in America would love the rates and loan payoff plans they are looking at.

But what the hell, partying like that beats working a part time job I guess.

[MindandSoul]

30. The higher education system in the UK (and in most of Europe) is structured

very differently and it is very difficult to hold a job AND to keep the grades, while in the U.S., it is basically the norm for many university students.

I think you are kind of comparing apples and oranges!

[readmoreoften]

31. And they are protesting because they don't want our fucked up system.

Everyone but Americans know that our system is the horror of the world and everyone fears it.

[ExTheUnknown]

32. I just don't see the horror in the spring chickens at college today

And many I know hold part time jobs for beer money or whatever.

[kenny blankenship]

35. A protest march would have been ignored

like they always are. Useless.

[tavalon]

37. Funny things words are, aren't they?

You call it riot, I call it demonstration and neither one of us was there so neither one of us really has the market on the words.

[kgnu_fan]

28. Would our young people know how to make this happen here ???

Do they know "solidarity"?

[ChumbawambaFan]

33. Don't blame the kids. The US is much more of a police state than the UK.

:shrug:

[dana_b]

34. yes, they have and they do

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/05/education/05protests.html

http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/education&id=7794109

http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/education&id=7129433

[tavalon]

38. Having been to many very large but nonexistant (per the media)

demonstrations, I can assure you, the kids do know how to demonstrate. What none of us have learned is how to circumvent the mass media and still get the message out.

[TBF]

39. Solidarity K&R nt