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Violence against student elected uwesu by met police

Simon Lawrence | 09.12.2010 19:40 | Education | Repression | Social Struggles | South Coast

elected represented of uwesu hospitalised by met police in london during tuition fee protest. Paddy Besiris, st Matts Chair of UWESU has been admitted to hospital after a head injury inflicted by excessive force by the MET police. 24 hours ago at an event hosted by centre forum David Cameron, prime minister, praised uwe professor Steve West current vice canceller of Samantha Cameron's alumina. Today popular representative lies in hospital following police brutality propping up Cameron's coalition.

Paddy Besiris, (20), an elected representative of UWESU, the Student Union which Prime Minister David Cameron's Wife, Samantha, belonged to in her student years, was admitted to a London hospital earlier today, having sustained head injuries protesting against the increases to Tuition Fees introduced by David Cameron's government in a controversial and much-contested vote earlier today. Paddy, the chair of the St. Matts Campus of the University of the West of England's Student Union, the UK's 8th largest University, was injured during protests outside parliament, noted by the severity of force perpetrated against undefended students, who had gathered from around the country on one of the coldest days of the year. On several occasions, members of the Metropolitan Police horseback unit rushed the crowds in Parliament Square, resulting in a number of student injuries. Whilst Metropolitan Police sources cite deviation from the planned route as a source of anger, their inexcusable, disproportionate and excessive use of violence and force has placed Paddy, a popular and intelligent UWE student, in a London hospital. Yesterday, Prime Minister David Cameron at an invitation-only event in the Capital, took a question from the University of the West of England's Vice Chancellor, Professor Steve West. During the exchange of question and answer between Steve West and David Cameron, Professor West, the Chair of the Council of Deans of Medicine, and thought to be the youngest Vice Chancellor in England, was informed by David Cameron of his enormous respect for UWE's students, and alumni, of which his Wife, Samantha, is a member. Today, students in occupation of the University of the West of England ask questions of both Professor West and Prime Minister David Cameron: "What price a student's life?" Professor West, yesterday, on live television picked up by BBC News' broadcast informed the nation, "I support the government's proposals". Today, his own students are asking him the question, "Do you still support a government which uses violence to suppress legitimate peaceful process? Do you still support a Prime Minister who has hospitalised a member of your own student body?" At various times through the afternoon's protests, which saw thousands of students from Universities across the country descend upon parliament square, Metropolitan Police officers could be seen assaulting, taunting, riding horses into, and in many ways attacking, using force and violence, the students of not just Professor West's but all Universities protesting against the 80% cuts in tuition funding which Cameron's Coalition this afternoon enacted. Students in occupation of the Core24 of Professor West's University expressed their disappointment this afternoon at the failure of Lib Dem MP's to uphold their pledge to oppose an increase in the cost of higher education. Professor West yesterday supported the government. Today, his support placed his elected student representative in hospital with head injuries. The proximity, the support, the use of Professor West as a stooge for the Cameron coalition has been condemned by his own students, who throughout the afternoon were repeatedly provoked, set upon, and assaulted by the members of the Metropolitan Police. Whilst the opportunity for democracy to overturn the tuition fee proposal appears to have passed, the question now becomes what measures will both sides use, and what casualties will result from the battle over Tuition Fees and the coalition-government imposed lifetime of debt, which today's vote created. This evening, UWESU's students in occupation of the University expressed their concern for their popular campus chair, who was admitted to hospital in the capital during the tuition fee protests. Vice Chancellor Steve West and the Prime Minister, David Cameron's comments are not known at this time.

Simon Lawrence
- e-mail: simon2.lawrence@live.uwe.ac.uk
- Homepage: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=618770057

Comments

Hide the following 4 comments

Protest in London today

09.12.2010 20:09

This is a bad state of affairs and I have heard on the radio that police were attacked by students that had come "intent on causing violent disorder." I feel that with this article I have read the other side of the story and, as a past visti of police violence and bullying myself I see no reason to accept the police's version of events - I particualrly deplore the head injuries leading to hospitalisation that I have read about.
The fact is we have a Coalition whose leaders are simply out of touch with ordinary people, most of the cabinet are millionaires and any violence emenating from people and not police is unfortunate yet understandable and if we had a less divided society it could, I am sure, have been avoided - this is a bad state of affairs and the government must shoulder its responsibility


George Coombs


no surprise

10.12.2010 09:58

A monopoly on violence is definitive of the state - we should not be surprised. This is what politicians expect the police to do, to uphold the political power of parliament. Which is why after the demonstrable "excesses," even those resulting in death, no policeman is ever really held to account, except perhaps collectively by the media and increasingly the internet. Which is why you are doing a tremendous job on indymedia and other citizen journalist outlets!

NickB


Surgery to stop bleeding in the brain.

10.12.2010 15:08

Heard on radio 4 another 20 year old had to have an operation on his head due to bleeding in the brain. Hit by a police baton. Alfie was his name I belief.

Reporter


Strange - this is what HE said!

06.01.2011 13:25

Paddy Besiris, 20, a student at the University of the West of England, had five stitches after he was hit from behind by a large megaphone battery thrown by another protester. "They were aiming for the police but I was at the front. I am frustrated that there was violence. I picked up something to throw and put it down again, as I realised it was stupid."

Paddy


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