Thousands of students from University College Cork and Cork Institute of Technology protested today in opposition to fees and further cutbacks in the educational system.
CIT students' Union president Gearóid Buckley rang Minister for Education Batt O'Keeffe's personal mobile phone from the podium in Grand Parade where the protesters assembled at lunchtime.
The phone was answered by the Minister, who was informed that he was talking to 6,000 angry Cork students.
Mr Buckley called out the Minister's mobile phone number from the podium and asked every student in the crowd to send him a text message saying "no fees".
Speaking after the protest, Mr Buckley declined to say how he managed to get hold of the number.
"Students are already struggling with the €1,500 registration fee and the cost of accommodation and books," Mr Buckley said. "Now they may be facing tuition fees of between €6,000 and €9,000. Today, we say we have had enough and the students of UCC and CIT stand united against this governments proposed fees and cutbacks."
President of the UCC students union Eoin Hayes said students were suffering as a result of the economic crisis. "Unemployment has skyrocketed and students who were unable to get jobs over the summer are not able to pay off their student loans."
