Repression of British students presages explosive class struggles

wsws.org

Published by the International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI)

Original articleThe witch-hunt and arrest of student protestors accused of involvement in the occupation of the Conservative Party headquarters at Millbank Towers, London on November 10 must serve as a warning to all working people.
The 55,000-strong demonstration against education cuts and a potential trebling of tuition fees saw minor acts of vandalism that are now being portrayed as a mortal threat to civil order. Absurd claims are being made that the police “lost control” of the capital’s streets, with the aim of rushing through repressive measures. Initial reports suggested that a handful of police had received minor injuries in the course of the occupation, but this figure was subsequently inflated to over 40.
The media and the police have whipped up a frenzied atmosphere, centred on the one potentially serious incident, when a fire extinguisher was thrown from the roof of Millbank Towers. Accounts have changed repeatedly, but there is no evidence that anyone was injured.
Despite this, Police Federation Chair Paul McKeever called for the individual involved to be charged with attempted murder. A 23-year-old student was initially arrested and released before an A-Level student handed himself in. Edward Woollard is just 18 and faces charges of violent disorder and a possible five-year prison sentence.
So far, at least 61 people have been arrested over the Millbank incident, including 12 youths who are under 18. The police trawl is being widened to include any individual who was in the vicinity of the protest. The media has published CCTV photographs of alleged offenders, calling for them to be turned in for prosecution.
The purpose of this hysteria is to provide a rationale for the police taking a no-holds barred approach to future protests. An unnamed senior police figure told the Observer that the student protest would help end criticism of the police “for being too provocative,” particularly after police violence at the G20 demonstration last year resulted in the death of newspaper vendor Ian Tomlinson. He gloated that “during the next demo no one can say a word,” against police actions.
Daily Telegraph columnist Matthew D’Ancona gave vent to the authoritarian impulses now gathering momentum, declaring, “I suspect most viewers will have seen the rioters as spoilt brats who would benefit from a bit of waterboarding.”
D’Ancona’s vile sentiment is not so far removed from reality. The Observer has revealed that defence firms have been working with the UK armed forces and the police on a “militarisation” strategy to counter civil disorder. Police officers are to receive SAS-style training in the use of heavy weaponry. The government has placed orders for armoured vehicles, more surveillance equipment and body scanners, and there are plans for the introduction of unmanned spy drones in UK airspace to provide intelligence on future demonstrations.

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