Brighton and Hove students plan to march again

Students and schoolchildren across Brighton and Hove are expected to march against education cuts again today (Tuesday, November 30).

A Brighton – Fight the Fees Facebook event page has support from more than 1,900 people willing to take part in the protest from Victoria Gardens in the city centre to Hove Town Hall.

This is the latest day of action in a series of national protests against proposals to increase university tuition fees and cut education maintenance allowance (EMA) for post-16 students from low-income families.

Brighton & Hove City Council strategic director people Terry Parkin has written to the city’s schools and colleges to warn them about the protest.

Deputy leader Councillor Dee Simson said: “The council fully supports the democratic right to peacefully protest.

“But we are concerned about the safety of schoolchildren missing school to attend the march.

“Our schools have been advised to work together with parents and pupils to discourage children from missing school to join in the protests.”

She added: “Our message to parents would be that they should talk to their children and explain that they should remain in school and that attending these demonstrations could pose safety risks.”

After the first march in the city on Wednesday, November 24, University of Brighton students have been occupying a lecture theatre in Pavilion Parade.

Under the banner of Brighton Resistance the group has been holding open lectures and sharing information with students occupying university buildings in London, Edinburgh, Sheffield, Plymouth, Leeds, Manchester, Cambridge and Bristol.

Yesterday (Monday, November 29) Brighton Pavilion MP Caroline Lucas visited the group and confirmed her opposition to tuition fees.