UCLan’s Students’ Union (SU) has decided to support the second Student Demonstration against cuts and tuition fees.

Students at last year's national demonstration. Photo by Matt Dinnery (Flickr)

The decision to attend, subject to a thorough security assessment, was made by the Student Council.

The Demonstration will take place in London on  Wednesday 9 November, a day before the anniversary of the first student demonstration last year.

UCLan will support what the demonstration stands for, but concerns were raised during the meeting for the safety of the students and whether or not they should attend.

Fears were raised after the first Student Demonstration last year turned violent at Millbank Tower (Conservative’s HQ) in London.David Stubbings, the SU’s Media Officer remarked that there weren’t any set plans on how the demonstration would take place.

He said: “It’s seven weeks away; it’s not clear whether or not it’s going to be a march. I have reservations. Unless there are actual facts, then I do have reservations about going.”

Becca Vafeas, Education Officer at the SU agreed that although she wasn’t concerned about taking students to the demonstration, she believed it should be a smaller group of students than last year.

Despite the concerns of the Council, it was a unanimous decision for UCLan to support what the Demonstration did stand for.

Jason Smith, Chair of the Student Council pressed that the students should be able to be involved: “We need to deal with this. If we don’t have a voice, if we don’t get involved, we are taking our own democratic rights away.”

The second demonstration has been organised by ex-education officer from University College London (UCL), Michael Chessum, head of the National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts, and wants all Universities to support and attend the event.

Students’ Union President, Reni Eddo-Lodge said: “An ex-education officer from University College London (UCL) shouldn’t be deciding whether or not we attend.

“But I do trust UCLan students not to get into trouble.”

The risk assessment will take place as soon as possible to ensure that students that want to attend will know whether or not it will be safe enough for them to do so.