A revival of student activism

On the 3 November 2010, almost 40,000 students marched from Parnell Square to the Government Buildings on Merrion Street in what The Irish Times described as “the largest student protest for a generation”. It was organised  by the Union of Students in Ireland (USI) in reaction to a proposed increase in student contribution levies and the growing number of graduate emigrating further afield for opportunities unavailable to them at home.

What began as a peaceful protest ended in violence; students were kicked and trampled by Gardaí on horseback, who were called in following the occupation of the Department of Finance by a number of students which culminated in a sit-down protest. The president of the USI at the time, Gary Redmond, blamed the protest’s escalation  on “left-wing groups”, were found by some to be divisive and therefore deleterious to the movement.

With the release of the Cassells Report in July, the government has indicated the various options it is considering to tackle the issue of third-level funding, including: cutting the funding of the Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) grant; an increase in student contribution; the introduction of a “loan” system making third-level education free at point of entry to be paid back when the student is working.

The report fails to inspire hope in those who depend on the SUSI grant, or those whose families may earn more than the income threshold but who are struggling to cover the cost of education. This, along with a rocky election and post-election period , has created the perfect environment for the revival of grassroots, student activism.

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