Volume 14 Issue 6

Page 1

FREE STUDENT NEWSPAPER

VOL 14, ISSUE 6

26 NOV 2012

Over 2,000 show up for ‘Fed Up? Stand Up’ march By Sean Dunne Over two thousand students from NUI Galway, GMIT and Athlone IT took part in a demonstration in Galway City Centre on the afternoon of Wednesday 14 November. Student protes-

tors gathered in Eyre Square as part of USI’s ‘Fed Up? Stand UP’ campaign. The official stance of the protest was echoed by the Vice President and Education Officer of NUI Galway Students’ Union Conor Stitt, who said; “We hope

to send a strong message to this government, especially the TDs that are taking regressive measures to stop students continuing in education, and have put them in financial jeopardy.” Mr Stitt added; “We are going to oppose them all the

Students bring a coffin to the office of Derek Dolan to mark the death of education. Photo by Kieran Durcan.

way and hopefully we will get Leinster House talking.” Student leaders urged the student population of the three colleges taking part in the demonstration to take out their phones and text local TDs Sean Kyne, Colm Keaveney and Derek Nolan. Paul Curley, Student Union President at NUI Galway urged students to “tell them what you think about not being able to go to college next year.” Mr Curley added; “The students of Galway were promised one thing from the Labour Government. They promised they would protect education, not increase the student contribution charge or cut the grant.” An estimated three thousand students took part in the demonstration aimed at voicing student opinion on proposed increases to education. The protest was organised in conjunction with with the Union of Students Ireland who

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are ruining the nationwide campaign ‘Fed Up? Stand Up’. Speaking about the protest, local TD Derek Nolan said; “I am very aware of the worries and concerns that so many students have

about their education and their futures. I have always felt that public demonstration was an important way for students to make their voices heard.” Continued on page 2…

USI President arrested By Marése O’Sullivan and Órla Ryan The President of the Union of Students in Ireland (USI), John Logue, was arrested on November 14 in Dáil Éireann for breaching Oireachtas rules by turning his back on Teachtaí Dála (TDs), though he was later released. The 23-year-old had been seated in the public gallery during a debate on a Fianna Fáil Private Members’ Bill on educational support and the grant system. He stood up and turned his back on the Government in protest against the defeat of the bill. This action prompted approximately 100 students from Dublin Institute

of Technology and Trinity College Dublin to follow suit. Logue was the last person to remain standing. When asked to resume his seat by a Dáil steward, he refused and was then arrested by Gardaí. He was taken to Pearse Street Garda Station for questioning at 9.30pm and subsequently released at around 10.45pm. The incident followed a protest in Galway earlier that day on the rise in third-level fees, in which over 1,500 students participated. It was one of a number of marches organised as part of the USI's 'Fed Up? Stand Up' campaign. “[Logue was] arrested by Gardaí for the simple act of standing up and turning his back on [gov-

ernment] TDs […] who had just voted against preserving the grant and freezing fees […] He was removed in handcuffs, to the cheers of the students with whom he was attending proceedings,” stated the USI. His arrest solicited a huge reaction on social media, with the vast majority of students voicing their support for Logue. Conor Stitt, NUI Galway's Vice-President and Education Officer, tweeted that he was "very proud" of the USI President. He also expressed his disappointment with the lack of support shown to students by local TDs Colm Keaveney, Derek Nolan, Ciaran Cannon and Seán Kyne. Continued on page 2…

Approximately 2,000 NUIG, GMIT, and AIT students gathered in Eyre Square for the Fed Up? Stand Up campaign recently.


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Volume 14 Issue 6 by Student Independent News - Issuu