Lunch-break rally in Cantelowes Park urges pupils to battle cuts ahead of mass protest

Published: 24 March 2011
by TOM FOOT

A PARK was transformed into a Speakers’ Corner-style open-air debating chamber yesterday (Wednesday) when school pupils staged a lunch-break rally against cuts.

The student summit in Cantelowes Gardens, Cam­den Town, was organised by Camden School for Girls pupils to boost support for the mass protest in central London on Saturday.

Gossipy teenagers turned their attentions to the state of the nation at a full-blown public meeting which heard calls for demonstrators to “break out” of Saturday’s designated march route and occupy buildings in ­central London.

English literature student Conrad Landin, 17, said: “Saturday is going to be the biggest march yet against the cuts. There will be a Camden School for Girls banner and we will be marching alongside our teachers.”

He declaimed Cutting It Up, by the late Highgate poet Adrian Mitchell, which likens public sector cuts to “a serial killer of Britain, a serial killer of its soul”.

His supporters cheered and some chanted “Conrad Landin’s barmy army”.

Students told the New Journal they were undaunted by the dozens of arrests of students during last November’s mass protests in central London.

Lawyers believe police acted disproportionately in arresting students for violent disorder and aggravated trespass. 

Alex Wood, 23, a member of protest group UK Uncut, urged Saturday’s marchers to be “peaceful and friendly”, adding that the protest would be more effective than the “failed” anti-Iraq war demo eight years ago.

He said: “I remember going on that march and it inspired me. But it failed. We have learned that simply marching from A to B isn’t enough. We need to break out of our designated space and make our voices heard.” 

He added: “UK Uncut is campaigning against tax avoidance. We will be occupying Boots in Oxford Street. They moved their company to Switzerland last year.”

Senior prefect Rose Music, 17, called for a branch of the National Union of Students to be set up at Camden School for Girls.

She said: “We have lots of forums on Facebook and the internet. This would be a good way of making our views heard in a more formal way.”

Some teachers were at the protest but declined to comment or be photo­graphed with pupils.

National Union of Teachers’ members at the school and throughout the borough will strike on Wednesday in a row over budget cuts and redundancies.

Camden School for Girls students are meeting at Lincoln’s Inn Fields at 11am on Saturday before joining the main march at Embankment around midday.