Yesterday saw the culmination of months of student action across the UK and in Wales, as thousands descended on Westminster to protest ahead of the vote over a potential tuition fee increase.
Twenty Cardiff students joined the protest in an attempt to encourage Cardiff Central MP, Jenny Willott to vote against the proposed increase.
This effort from Cardiff students has come after various attempts to encourage Willott to honour her electorate. Cardiff students have been actively campaigning over the past month, organising occupations, marches and rally's to raise awareness of the importance of the vote.
In a recent vote in the Welsh Assembly Government has shown that they value the importance of higher education by committing to continued investment in Welsh domiciled students. The chants that rang out in Parliament Square yesterday attempted to remind the Liberal Democrat MP's to champion the same values.
Cardiff students get hemmed in by police kettling
During the lasting debate in parliament, protests continued outside Westminster, and at 1pm police began to use crowd control methods to restrict movement in and out of the area.
Despite claims that students were free to leave parliament square, I heard reports that ten Cardiff students were trapped inside a police 'kettle' outside Westminster.
And sure enough, as I was walking down Whitehall, away from the protest in Parliament Square, there was a sudden flurry as police descended on the scene, blocking the road with a reinforced line which included mounted police.
Despite declaring that I was not a protester and politely asking to be freed, I was given a resounding 'no' from the police. As students behind the blockade began to get increasingly irate there were many angry cries of: "We just want to go home!" In response, the police blockade began to surge forwards, forcing the students (and other bystanders) into a tighter group. Eventually, my colleague and I were given permission to leave, and managed to slip through the police line. However, it was clear that students inside the blockade were becoming frustrated.
I spoke to one Cardiff student who escaped the kettle along Whitehall, and she expressed her anger at the way the protesters were managed by police:
"We were actually trying to leave the protest which was taking place in Parliament Square but we still got kettled! It was such a scary situation because we were being charged at by police on horses and people were climbing over fences to get away.
"I think that the police actions were completely unnecessary because kettling people just causes more violence. Students who were trying to leave the protest and go home were being prevented from doing so which made people angry. The only people being scary or intimidating were the police."
A proportion of the crowd yesterday were only there with the purpose of causing trouble, but I believe that the actions of the protesters have been exaggerated and as a result the students who were in London to have their voices heard in a non-violent capacity have been villainised.
This morning, the media have taken contrasting stances on this issue. Some actively support the students' right to protest in a peaceful manner, whilst others condemn the 'mindless violence' that took place.
But today, instead of focus on the dire situation that prospective university students find themselves in, the newspapers are awash with the photograph of a startled Camilla.
Cardiff students celebrate Jenny Willott victory
For Cardiff, we have had a small victory, in that Jenny Willott, MP for Cardiff Central resigned from her position as Liberal Democrat Private Parliamentary Secretary in order to vote against the tuition fee rise. It appears that the extensive lobbying of Cardiff students really did work, and I think that this should be commended.
Cosimo Montagu, an elected officer at Cardiff University students' union, was at the Houses of Parliament yesterday as the vote was passed. He spoke of his pride towards the effort of Cardiff Students who actively campaigned:
"Yesterday Cardiff students continued to demonstrate their strength of feeling and passion about the prospect of £9000 tuition fees by coming to London to lobby their MPs and demonstrate.
"The work Cardiff students have put in over the last week has been amazing, whether through lobbying, protesting or occupying. Ultimately it all helped Jenny Willott make the brave but right decision to resign her post in government and vote against the tuition fees, for which we are very proud and grateful.
"Although it did not help tip the balance in the final debate, the vote passing by a slim 21 vote majority, I have no doubt that the movement will not have ended in Cardiff. In fact this is only the beginning. We will continue to lobby and protest against these disgraceful an damaging fees, and I am sure that Cardiff students will not let the vote today defeat them."
Alongside students, Action Against the Cuts: Cardiff, were actively lobbying Willott to listen to her electorate. Today, the group issued a statement to Guardian Cardiff:
"We are pleased to see Jenny Willott's vote against the rise in tuition fees as a result of our direct action in the past two weeks. We hope she will go on to support the fight against these unnecessary cuts which will damage the lives and jobs of her constituents."
Sarah Powell is a student at Cardiff University and editor of gair rhydd. She tweets @Sarah_powell and @MediaCSU.
.jpg?w=600)
