Student Demo - legitimate anger, illegitimate violence, rewarded by media coverage

52,000 students march against tuition fees. At last the students are on the streets. Some of us have spent the last two decades bemoaning the apolitical stance of the youthoftoday.

52,000 at a peaceful demonstration. Would it have been reported if it had all gone off peacefully? Hardly. I have been on so many peaceful demos, where the reportage is minimal, and discussino of the issues by the media abysmal.

This time, though, it kicked off. Millbank Tower was invaded and occupied. Windows were smashed. With mind numbing stupidity, some idiot self-styled "anarchist" (presumably - that's my experience of these guys) threw a fire extinguisher off the roof, which could have killed someone.

I condemn all violence. On demos, I go out of my way to be friendly to the police, because they are the vital link to success. When the police (and the Army) refuse to use violence against the people, political change ensues.

However, violence is an expression of anger, and there is a lot of justifiable anger about.

The people of Britain have every right to be angry. The banks have imposed a huge deficit on the UK economy (made heavier by Labour's spending on war, education and health), and the people are being made to pay for the banksters' follies, while said banksters continue to evade and avoid tax, and pay themselves stonking bonuses. The Government colludes with tax evasion, and the LibDems have lied to the students.

That in a nutshell is why the British have a right to be angry.

This demonstration is, I predict, the first of many. The same disturbances have occurred in Iceland, Greece, France, Germany and Ireland.

Osborne's stupid, ideological cuts are not going to save money, certainly as far as the police is concerned, because of the cost of policing demonstrations like this.

I looked at Sky News coverage on computer. It was sick. There was an anchor, I do not know his name because we do not have Sky, but he was hysterical, sounding like some Fox News acolyte. He spent much time winding up Sir Paul Stephenson of the Met police, basically trying to get him to clamp down hard on demonstrators. He then had a student leader on,Tom Chigbo, who was brilliant - clear, calm (despite the attempts of the anchor) and he pwned the anchorman.

The corporate media really have to up their game. If they do not like violent demonstrations, then they should give peaceful demonstrations a fair treatment, and discuss the issues in a rational, balanced, enlightening way. If they only reward violent demonstrations with coverage, then that is what they will get - violent demonstrations.

OK, that's me done. If you want an sensible account of he demonstration from someone who was there, go see Whirled Peas.