Fighting on - Students march from Piccadilly Square
Published: 21 January, 2011
by JOSIE HINTON
TEENAGE students took part in the latest march on Parliament on Wednesday in protest at the coalition government’s education reforms.
Although student unions had predicted a turnout of thousands, a much smaller group of around 250 students gathered at Piccadilly Circus to oppose plans to scrap the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) – payments of up to £30 a week made to sixth-form students from low-income families.
Led by police, they marched to Parliament Square where they found an open-mic music concert. Prior to the march, police and students unions held discussions in a bid to ensure the demonstration passed without violence.
Earlier in the day pupils from across the country went to the Commons to lobby MPs over the impending EMA vote – Labour’s attempt to prevent it being scrapped was defeated by 59 votes.
Protester Fatima Rahim, 16, said: “For me EMA is so important because it keeps people in education.”
Year 13 student Jason Engelberg added: “The media have portrayed EMA as being spent on partying, but it’s not – it’s spent on lunch and travel which keeps young people in school.”