U.K. Police Chief Proposes Banning Peaceful Student Protests

by Megan Cottrell · 2010-12-23 06:00:00 UTC
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British students have rallied for weeks, protesting cuts to higher education that would raise tuition beyond what many can afford. College students, high school students and even elementary school students have gotten involved, standing up for their ability to get an affordable education.

"We are no longer that generation that doesn't care, we are no longer that generation to sit back and take whatever they give us. We are now the generation at the heart of the fight back," said 15 year-old protester Rodney Owen McCarthy.

But because some of the protests have gotten violent, with some police even being accused of assaulting protesters, London's Metropolitan Police Commissioner is proposing martial law be enforced and students not be allowed to protest.

"It is one of the tactics we will look at and something we will keep under review, and if we think it is the right thing to do then we will do it," said Sir Paul Stephenson.

More than 180 people have been arrested for protesting in London alone. Last week, 12 police officers and 40 protesters were injured when protests turned violent.

Activist Aaron Porter, president of the U.K.'s Student Union, has stood up to denounce the suspension of freedom of speech.

"Peaceful protest is an integral part of our heritage and it is the responsibility of the police to help facilitate that," said Porter. Other students and education activists are taking a stand as well.

Even Stephenson himself questions whether banning protests will actually create order.

"When you have got people willing to break the law in this way, what is the likelihood of them obeying an order not to march or complying with conditions on a demonstration?" said Stephenson.

Not only is banning protesting likely to work, but it's a violation of the students' rights to freedom of speech. When a society starts determining who has the right to voice their opinion, especially on important national matters, we all lose. This is the perfect time to ask U.K. leaders to commit to free speech. Tell the Minster of State of Universities and Science, the governing body that heads education in the U.K. to publicly commit to students' right to peacefully protest - Sign our petition today.

Photo credit: Andrew Moss Photography

Megan Cottrell is a reporter and writer living in Chicago.
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