Campaign to Defeat Fees day of action

London

Bail out the students - not the bankers! - Campaign to Defeat Fees protest, photo Bob Severn

The chant of, "Stop the fees, stop the debt. Give us what the bankers get!" was heard up and down Victoria Street as Socialist Students protested outside the Department of Innovation, Universities and Skills. The demonstration brought together students from across London for the CDF day of action.

Placards reading 'Bail out the students, not the bankers' and '£16,000 in debt, but I'm an investment' highlighted the huge debt burden placed on students by high tuition fees and living costs. Students paraded up and down the pavement, chained together to symbolise the way young people are shackled by debt.

Neil Cafferky

Southampton

New members of Southampton Socialist Students canvassed student halls of residence as part of the CDF day of action. We spent the whole day speaking to students and got hundreds of signatures for the CDF petition. The university is holding a review of its structures which could mean the loss of over 400 administrative jobs. We mobilised students for a protest outside the university senate meeting on Thursday 23 October.

Together with the lecturers' union, UCU, we have launched a campaign to fight fees, cuts and privatisation at the university and have called a campus demonstration on 1 December.

Rob Kozluck and Nick Chaffey

Sheffield

Bail out the students - not the bankers! - Campaign to Defeat Fees protest, photo Bob Severn

The pièce de résistance of our CDF stall was the 'debt-o-meter', a graph of students' debt also showing the amount of time it would take them to pay it back (based on the average salaries for men and women; women taking up to five years longer to pay back the same amount of debt). Students were amazed by how long their three years of education would leave them burdened with debt.

With nearly 300 signatures for the CDF petition, students at Sheffield University are beginning to realise the need for a mass campaign against fees.

Beth McMillan

Dundee

Dundee Solidarity Socialist Students Society ran a stall on campus signing up lots of students for a 'grants for students - not debt and loans' petition. We are also linking up with the activities of Solidarity - Scotland's Socialist Movement in the city. As part of the day of action we gave out thousands of leaflets and covered student areas with posters for the Solidarity rally on 16 October with Tommy Sheridan, Solidarity convener and Jim McFarlane, chair of Dundee Unison speaking. The rally was a great success attracting over 100 people, including many students. Tommy Sheridan gave his public support to the CDF at the rally.

Leah Ganley

Northumbria

Northumbria Socialist Students ran all-day stalls on campus on 16 October and sent teams of activists into student bars to get signatures for the CDF. 120 students signed up to demand that the student union calls a referendum next term on whether to support the campaign's aims.

Paul Phillips

Northampton

Socialist Students held a stall in the library foyer for the national CDF day of action. Although it was a quiet day, there was a lot of interest in our campaign. Socialist Students gained five new members and now has 170 signatures for the CDF petition.

Lee Dunkley

Cambridge and Anglia Ruskin

Socialist Students from Cambridge and Anglia Ruskin campaigned with a street stall, petitioning and leafleting students. We will build support for the city-wide demonstration against fees and debt on 5 November, called as part of the NUS day of action.

Steve Sweeney

Exeter

Socialist Students ran a successful stall with many students supporting the CDF. We built support for the demonstration on fees organised by the student guild on 5 November.