London Socialist Students

A majority of the 21 people at the all-London Socialist Students meeting on 10 October were attending their first meeting, a reflection of the good work put in across London at the freshers' fairs.

Neil Cafferky

The subject of the meeting also helped the attendance. The powerful documentary, Bolivia: Water Wars, detailed the struggle of Bolivian workers against privatisation of the country's water supply by a foreign multi-national.

A lively discussion ensued around the question of whether a political party was needed to defeat capitalism or if social movements on their own could fundamentally change society, as some activists in the documentary asserted. The documentary ended at the point where Evo Morales was elected president. Given the fact that one of the key demands of the social movements - nationalisation of the country's gas - was only met after the election, it would be fair to say events in Bolivia have shown the vital role that workers' struggle on a political level can play in the struggle towards changing society.

The business part of the meeting dealt with the upcoming National Union of Students (NUS) demonstration against top-up fees on 29 October. The mobilisation got off to a good start with many students expressing an interest in turning out on the 29th, putting forward motions at their union and actively building support for the demo.