By Ray Fulcher
MELBOURNE — More than 1000 university and TAFE students rallied at the State Library on August 26 to demand that the federal government restore funding to education. The rally was part of a National Union of Students' national day of action.
Rally speakers talked about issues ranging from up-front fees and voluntary student unionism, to plans by Melbourne University to build a private campus.
Led by the Victorian College of the Arts student union's Chinese dragon, the protesters marched to VCA, then to Melbourne University.
NUS president Rose Tracey was prevented from speaking by the organisers from the Student Unionism Network who said there were "too many speakers".
The more likely reason was that SUN was keen to finish the rally quickly so that an occupation could be held at Melbourne University. The occupation was seen by the organisers as the main reason for the rally, rather than using it to inform and involve students. The attempt to occupy was unsuccessful.
In Brisbane, report Adam Baker and Tessa Mitchell, 10 Liberal Party students attempted to disrupt the national day of action. Instead of intimidating the protesters, however, the Liberals inspired the 150-strong crowd to continue the action.
NUS (Qld) co-education officer and Resistance member Zanny Begg spoke about the degradation of higher education under Coalition and Labor governments. "Education is a right, not a privilege", she said. "Students will continue to resist the notion that they should pay more and more for their own education."
As Begg spoke, the Liberals chanted offensively about a recent fire at the Resistance Centre (see page 2) and attacked Resistance's solidarity with Cuba. The crowd ignored them.
Justina Legoe highlighted the problems women face in higher education. Despite the majority of students being women, they are grossly under-represented in post-graduate courses and academic positions, she said.
The demonstrators marched through the city to Waterfront Place where a second speaking platform was held. A motion opposing the voluntary student unionism legislation recently introduced in New Zealand was passed, as well as another in solidarity with the editors of the student newspaper Rabelais in their fight for free speech.
Motions in support of democracy in Burma and Resistance's national high school walkout against racism on August 28 were also passed.
The Labor right-dominated student unions of Griffith University and Qld University of Technology attempted to undermine the protest by organising social activities on campus at the same time as the rally.