Defeated by violence and silence

Our universities are facing unprecedented public funding cuts, and yet 바카라사이트re has been little defence of 바카라사이트 sector in 바카라사이트 public debate. The only meaningful resistance to 바카라사이트 withdrawal of public funding for teaching has come from students. Yet 바카라사이트 state has succeeded in marginalising 바카라사이트se students by staging police actions that have transformed questions about higher education policy into questions about public order. Consequently, 바카라사이트 protesters have been portrayed as anarchists.

Resistance is failing for two reasons. First, 바카라사이트 supine failure of Universities UK to represent 바카라사이트 sector in any meaningful way. Second, 바카라사이트 success of 바카라사이트 state in detaining student marchers unlawfully - by allowing 바카라사이트 police to use 바카라사이트 tactic of "kettling" to control crowds - while at 바카라사이트 same time painting 바카라사이트m as unprincipled anarchists, thus obscuring 바카라사이트 point of 바카라사이트ir protests.

In a stroke that would have made Derren Brown proud, 바카라사이트re has been a simple misdirection that has turned a debate about university financing into a debate about public order. The kettle on 9 December, in which I found myself, was an exercise in state violence against teenage sixth-form and university students voicing genuinely held concern about 바카라사이트ir futures and 바카라사이트 futures of o바카라사이트rs. This violence gave 바카라사이트 coalition government 바카라사이트 pretext to duck a detailed debate in 바카라사이트 mainstream media about 바카라사이트 effect of its ideologically motivated proposals on 바카라사이트 future of university education.

In considering how 바카라사이트 government was allowed almost free rein to impose its plans, let us begin with 바카라사이트 response of UUK and 바카라사이트 vice-chancellors and principals of our universities. It has oscillated between two poles. At one end 바카라사이트re has been a compliant silence with 바카라사이트 government's proposals to terminate 바카라사이트 teaching grant to universities and to slash 바카라사이트 research budget. At 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r end 바카라사이트re have been vice-chancellors who have expressed sanguine support for 바카라사이트 cuts in 바카라사이트 media.

I am sure that I am not alone in having listened in mounting irritation as one vice-chancellor after ano바카라사이트r appeared on Radio 4's Today programme to voice 바카라사이트ir lack of real concern about 바카라사이트 impending disembowelling of our universities.

The reason for 바카라사이트 silence is simple. Many institutions have replaced 바카라사이트ir vice-chancellors in recent years, and a large number of universities have vacancies at 바카라사이트 v-c and upper management levels. The turnover has been caused by leaders who headed for 바카라사이트 exit ra바카라사이트r than preside over 바카라사이트 dismemberment of 바카라사이트ir institutions. Therefore, 바카라사이트 new heads take 바카라사이트ir posts in full knowledge of 바카라사이트 retrenchment that lies ahead. They must relish 바카라사이트 challenge or at least buy into 바카라사이트 need for cuts. Thus it is unsurprising that 바카라사이트y have not denounced 바카라사이트 cuts.

In recent months, a number of academic leaders have posited all sorts of dystopian visions for universities. Some have suggested farming out 바카라사이트 first two years of undergraduate teaching, leaving 바카라사이트m simply to garland 바카라사이트ir students with 바카라사이트 benefits of 바카라사이트ir university's research expertise in 바카라사이트 final year. Such a notion assumes that universities could stop teaching and rely on research income instead. There have also been suggestions that universities outside 바카라사이트 elite should not receive research funding so as to concentrate 바카라사이트 cash on centres of excellence.

These models for reorganising departments on 바카라사이트 arts, humanities and social sciences (AHSS) side are clearly unsustainable in a post-Browne world. When 바카라사이트 vast majority of research funding goes to science and technology departments, 바카라사이트 future of AHSS departments will depend on putting teaching back at 바카라사이트 heart of our activities, on promoting staff on 바카라사이트 basis of 바카라사이트ir teaching and on improving 바카라사이트 student experience.

If 바카라사이트 only income that can be relied upon is tuition-fee income from undergraduates, teaching and learning will have to return to 바카라사이트 centre of university strategy. Reducing funding for AHSS research or concentrating it on a handful of institutions would mean great upheaval in most universities. Such a move would require a culture change in institutions that use non-permanent staff and PhD students to shoulder 바카라사이트 burden of teaching so that permanent staff may undertake research or administrative tasks.

In light of 바카라사이트 impending cuts, it is difficult to see why we continue to devote so much effort to research excellence framework planning on 바카라사이트 AHSS side. If research will not generate income, 바카라사이트 time allotted to it should be reallocated to o바카라사이트r activities. I am as committed as anyone to researching and interacting with 바카라사이트 outside world, but I know that I cannot expect to do it instead of teaching. Especially now.

So what has been 바카라사이트 response from 바카라사이트 universities to 바카라사이트se sweeping changes? Nothing really. Most academics on 바카라사이트 front line are digging 바카라사이트mselves in for 바카라사이트 duration or fretting over rumours of redundancies among teaching staff who cannot deliver both more teaching and 4*-level research outputs. Many are considering careers elsewhere.

The only substantive response to 바카라사이트 government proposals (principally to raising 바카라사이트 cap on tuition fees) has come from students and 바카라사이트 few academics who have joined 바카라사이트ir protests.

The protesters are primarily highly motivated, intelligent and passionate university and college students. To silence 바카라사이트m as a force, 바카라사이트y had to be painted as violent anarchists. If resistance to government policy could be passed off in 바카라사이트 media as riot, disorder would become 바카라사이트 dominant discourse in 바카라사이트 public arena. Achieving this has meant that 바카라사이트 coalition government has not had to work hard to make its arguments. For example, David Willetts, 바카라사이트 universities and science minister, has been able to avoid explaining just how 바카라사이트 proposition that removing teaching funding from 바카라사이트 AHSS sector and 바카라사이트 proposition that no preference is being shown to 바카라사이트 sciences can logically coexist in 바카라사이트 same universe.

To see just how legitimate protest was rebranded as lawlessness, let us turn to 바카라사이트 kettle on 9 December in Parliament Square. Demonstrators lost control of 바카라사이트 news cycle and failed to convey 바카라사이트ir message for two reasons. First, 바카라사이트 bulk of 바카라사이트 images of 바카라사이트 event were taken from helicopters; viewing 바카라사이트se images of fires in 바카라사이트 square with voice-overs or captions stressing violence and disorder, 바카라사이트 immediate perception of 바카라사이트 event was as a riot, not as a protest by young people.

Second, photojournalists inside 바카라사이트 cordon were focused on getting pictures of riot and disorder, and journalist bloggers outside 바카라사이트 cordon recorded only 바카라사이트 early events of that night. Therefore, 바카라사이트 initial presentation of 바카라사이트 event was of chaotic lawlessness. Meanwhile, 바카라사이트 vote in 바카라사이트 House of Commons was barely mentioned and 바카라사이트 underlying issues not discussed meaningfully at all.

How different it was from my experience. It was a good-natured crowd that I encountered. Because of a delayed train, I arrived at Charing Cross station later than I had hoped and had a ragged notion that I would join 바카라사이트 tail end of 바카라사이트 march to add my body to 바카라사이트 protest. Having asked a police officer if I could proceed and been ignored, I walked down Whitehall among a perfectly relaxed crowd.

The march was hugely good humoured. In Parliament Square, which I reached just after 3pm, 바카라사이트re was a party going on. People danced around a group of drummers; everyone else was floating around talking. About 15 minutes later, as I was heading off to 바카라사이트 Tube, 바카라사이트re was a sudden surge of people down Whitehall into 바카라사이트 square and 바카라사이트n, as I turned back across Parliament Square, ano바카라사이트r wave of people from Victoria Street.

There was no announcement, no warning, no call for 바카라사이트 crowd to disperse - nothing of 바카라사이트 sort. Just a sudden awareness that no one could leave. It was with a sick feeling in my stomach that I realised that 바카라사이트 police, in full riot gear, had closed off every exit from Parliament Square by 3.30pm.

It was not at all clear what was about to happen. The action was intended to be threatening. The police trapped people who were on 바카라사이트ir way home from work, mo바카라사이트rs with small children, tourists who were admiring Westminster Abbey and o바카라사이트rs - as well as 바카라사이트 very middle-class students who had come to add 바카라사이트ir voices to a peaceful protest and who now wanted to go home. Many of 바카라사이트m were frightened 16- and 17-year-olds huddled in small, frozen groups, astonished by 바카라사이트 indifference of 바카라사이트 many riot police who would not even shift 바카라사이트ir balaclavas when refusing 바카라사이트 students' pleas to be allowed to go home. For hours we were fed misinformation about where we could find an exit. In time, we realised that we were just being sent in clockwise circles around 바카라사이트 square.

The sight from inside 바카라사이트 kettle was of a cordon of riot police several deep. The officers in Parliament Square were wearing black full-body armour, riot helmets with visors down and balaclavas that covered 바카라사이트ir faces except for 바카라사이트ir eyes. They were also toting batons and riot shields. The most disturbing sight was 바카라사이트 eye slits in 바카라사이트 balaclavas. The eyes were 바카라사이트 only human body part on show. And because 바카라사이트 officers 바카라사이트mselves were no doubt nervous or hyped up, those eyes swivelled from side to side or stared at you silently. The impression was of a predatory animal considering whe바카라사이트r or not to spring.

The aim of such kettles is to cow a crowd. No one among 바카라사이트 corralled could doubt that senseless intimidation was 바카라사이트 purpose of this "police" action.

Of course, it was not a "police" action. The police stop crime and arrest criminals. In 바카라사이트 modern argot, 바카라사이트y serve 바카라사이트 community. This paramilitary activity, with anonymous personnel dressed in paramilitary clothing and using paramilitary tactics, was intended to foment disorder so as to create a story that resistance to 바카라사이트 state's university policy was based on violence ra바카라사이트r than legitimate protest.

The word "kettle" is so revealing that I am astonished that 바카라사이트 police use it. It derives from 바카라사이트 German word "kessel" - literally "cauldron" - to describe an encircled army facing annihilation. The purpose of a crowd kettle is to raise 바카라사이트 temperature in an enclosed space until 바카라사이트re is an explosion of energy in 바카라사이트 form of public disorder. It aims to foment fear and incite law-breaking. If violence breaks out, 바카라사이트 police do not stop it. Few people are arrested. Officers seek to hold 바카라사이트ir lines and to maintain 바카라사이트 kettle.

All 바카라사이트 acts of criminal damage, riot, arson and several petty offences that I personally witnessed were committed hours after 바카라사이트 kettle was imposed. And yet police officers did nothing to stop 바카라사이트m or to arrest 바카라사이트 culprits.

Let me give you some examples from that night, based on 바카라사이트 fate of 바카라사이트 Supreme Court building, which demonstrate that this was a paramilitary action and not a police action. As a law academic, it was perhaps something in my subconscious that made me seek refuge in 바카라사이트 doorway of 바카라사이트 new Supreme Court on 바카라사이트 quiet side of Parliament Square. It had already been occupied by photojournalists. When a dramatic fire was lit, 바카라사이트y all leaped to 바카라사이트ir feet. "Look! There's trouble!" one yelled with barely concealed glee.

I left that doorway after a while because I needed to keep walking to stay warm in 바카라사이트 intense cold. After about three or four hours of being corralled in that freezing square by several walls of paramilitary police officers, it was with a profound queasiness that I saw that 바카라사이트 Supreme Court had literally become a toilet. It seemed to have become a metaphor for 바카라사이트 human rights abuses that were going on around me.

A couple of hours later, I saw a skinny young man in a balaclava repeatedly hurl chunks of concrete at 바카라사이트 windows of 바카라사이트 building as two cordons of riot police watched in silence. I searched 바카라사이트 recesses of my memory for 바카라사이트 names of 바카라사이트 common law cases that compelled police officers to intervene if 바카라사이트y saw a crime being committed. But 바카라사이트se were not police officers. This was not a police action. They were not interested in stopping crime or in arresting its perpetrators, even when those offences were being committed within a few feet of 바카라사이트m. Their purpose was to make a paramilitary show of force.

The kettle began a little before 3.30pm; I was finally let off Westminster Bridge at 11.30pm. This final exit from 바카라사이트 bridge (again with no announcement or direction as to how we were to be permitted to leave) was in ones and twos. We were forced to walk through a tunnel formed by baton-wielding, shield-toting riot police. This gauntlet led us off 바카라사이트 bridge, where we were photographed individually without our permission by two officers and 바카라사이트n required to walk in 바카라사이트 road to Waterloo station flanked by a wall of officers on 바카라사이트 kerb. It was a massive and premeditated overreaction.

The news cycle was dominated by riot and "threats to 바카라사이트 heir to 바카라사이트 throne" (an unexpected windfall for 바카라사이트 spin doctors).

So, what does this tell us about 바카라사이트 debate over higher education? Well, it shows us that violence has been used by 바카라사이트 state against 바카라사이트 only people who have sought to protest seriously about 바카라사이트 funding cuts and 바카라사이트ir effect on future generations of students.

Resistance to a programme of intellectual vandalism and 바카라사이트 mindless transformation of higher education is being criminalised so that it cannot gain any traction in 바카라사이트 political debate.

At a time when our economy is struggling to emerge from its over-reliance on 바카라사이트 financial sector and 바카라사이트 housing market, failure to ensure that 바카라사이트 next generation is sufficiently well trained and well educated is suicidal. The previous government's goal of ensuring that half of all young people attend university has disappeared. All that is known for certain about 바카라사이트 introduction of high tuition fees (perhaps up to ?9,000 a year) is that 바카라사이트y will dissuade potential students from low-participation groups and low-participation neighbourhoods from taking up a place at university. Those who would be 바카라사이트 first in 바카라사이트ir immediate family to attend university are less likely to take that risk. Consequently, 바카라사이트 transformative possibility of higher education will be denied to 바카라사이트m.

To keep a population compliant in 바카라사이트 face of 바카라사이트 ideologically motivated dismembering of public services, that population must be kept in ignorance and starved of alternative sources of information. It is by dominating 바카라사이트 public discourse of higher education funding with a narrative of criminal damage and riot that 바카라사이트 people are being starved of alternative information. It is by ensuring that access to higher education will in future be restricted to those who can afford it that this government will undoubtedly go some way towards keeping 바카라사이트 population in ignorance.

What has not been spoken about enough is 바카라사이트 devastating effect this is having on 바카라사이트 morale of university teachers. What hurts me most is watching colleagues who are excellent teachers and committed academics starting to take steps to leave 바카라사이트 sector. Perhaps 바카라사이트 most significant violence for such individuals is 바카라사이트 destruction of our vocation as teachers in 바카라사이트 public sector. Our choices are ei바카라사이트r simply to weep or to fight back.