FEE Report from February 4th

national | education | news report Sunday February 08, 2009 10:29 by Julian - UCD FEE julianbrophy at gmail dot com

This is a report from the February 4th national protest and the FEE breakaway that followed.

February 4th had been hyped up by all, and especially by USI, to be the largest student protest the nation had ever seen. If this was the pillar that USI's battle against fees rested upon, then it was no more momentous or influential than the all-Dublin protest, as it succeeded in bringing only a few more thousand to the streets, who quickly dispersed once they had had their bit of craic.
FEE's involvement in building for this protest was incredible. We printed 20,000 professional colour leaflets advertising for the protest, presenting our campaign to the student bodies, and proposing a plan of action for post February 4th. We ran stalls daily in our local colleges, pushing hard for students to protest on the 4th Feb, and trying to involve them in our campaign for free education.
Anyone who as been to a USI protest will be familiar with the routine. Congregate at Parnell Square, start chanting and shouting, watch mindless students with placards with the like of "Rape, Pillage, Massacre, the time is now", march down O'Connell Street, get to a big platform (which wasn't even outside the Dáil!) and listen to politicians' plans to change the future; something that won't defeat fees and certainly something that average student can't relate to.
The FEE contingent was impressive to say the least. We made a huge banner, a number of stencilled flags, placards, and managed to organise a sound system on a trolley. We definitely attracted a great deal of attention! Despite USI's threats to censor any slogans with the words "free eduation", (farcical to say the least?) we held our banners and flags high as we firmly believe in and will fight for a just and free edcuational system.
As the protest reached the platfrom, we deicded that some sort of concrete action be taken, since USI's idea of a strong message is getting thousands out on the streets, having them listen to monotonous electoral drones and then engaging with them through a public meeting. With the support of the WSM, the SP, Órga Sinn Féin and the SWP, we managed to gather a group of about 300 students and march through the street right to the front of the Dáil.
The vibrant atmosphere that had been lost by many students during the protst was regained in our breakaway, as we reclaimed the streets, marched to the Dáil and held a sit-down protest. The momentum that was sparked was truly sensational and I'm confident that many students who were previously uninvolved will now be activists in this common struggle. Paul Murphy and myself from UCD FEE, Áine from NUIG FEE and a representative from the Campaign to Defeat Fees in Northern Ireland gave brief speeches on the issue of fees, what FEE stands for and our immediate strategies for future action. Although there were some divergences, the one message that resonated loud and clear is that we need a mass grassroots campaign that has great support from other sectors of society (workers, unions, pensioners, secondary level students etc.) that pushes for one-day shutdown of the 3rd level system. This is the message that we will send to the government and they won't be able to ignore it if mass numbers are mobilised.
After about an hour of the sit-down protest, loud chants, music blaring, and an elated mood to say the least, we decided to march together down to DIT where USI were having their meeting on fees and whatever type of moderate strategy they were to adopt post-February 4th. Needles to say that their idea of engaging with a broad number of students didn't work, as when we arrived we nearly doubled the numbers there, and had to listen to more talk about the next local elections, and making a serious commitment to talk to our local TDs.
To sum up the day, I can confidently say, from a FEE perspective, that it was positive. It's a given that on a broad-spectrum level it was a failure, since another march that sees students disperse immediately after they've reached the platform will not do anything to defeat fees. But as FEE, a campaign with limited resources, we had a great contingent and managed to organise the type of action needed on a broader level todefeat fees. I'm confident that with the amount of organisation we've reached, and the pressure we'll be putting on USI and our SUs, that we will manage to achieve this one day shut down, and cause the government to make the massive U-turn we all want and need so much.