Student  Protests Continue To Escalate.

Over 60 students engaged in a walking picket and sit down blockade at the opening ceremony of the new Arts Annex at University College Dublin. The protest organised by the Irish Campaign for Free Education (CFE) came on the back of a meeting of ordinary students held in UCD last week. Originally it was believed that Finance Minister Charlie McCreevy would be present at the opening ceremony, and the protest was originally concieved to voice anger at him. However, members of the Campaign believe McCreevy quickly backed out when the possibility emerged that he would be confronted with a repeat of last weeks Late Late Show. Later in the week, coinciding with the USI occupation of the department of education along with members of the CFE, a protest had been planned by the CFE to disrupt a visit by Bertie Ahearn, who was going to address the UCD Fianna Fail Cumann. The Taoseach is believed to have pulled out of his engagement due to the agitation of students involved in the CFE.

Aidan Regan from Tallaght and studying philosophy and politics said;
"The blockade was extremely important as it illustrates the sheer anger of the ordinary students.The fact that ordinary students were willing to throw themselves in front of cops suggest the goverment should take action now before the esculation of radicalism takes its toll."
While members of USI and the CFE occupied the boardroom, members of the CFE engaged in protests at the gates. When the Gardai smashed the seige, members of the CFE engaged in a successful blockade of the gates of the department, forcing the police to release the protesters through a side door, unarrested.

Secretary of the Campaign Paul Murphy commented that;
'Both were very successful protests, we succeeded in blocking Lenihans access to our college and the Governent to its department of education, in a manner similar to how the governent blocks access to ordinary people.'

James Redmond, PRO for the Campaign commented that
'The protest in UCD on Tuesday and the occuaption on Wednesday are only the beginning of a movement of ordinary students for free education. There is a certain irony in the fact that the Tuesday demo took place outside the opening of The Institute for the Study For Social Change. The only change Lenihan and his ilk are interested in is clawing back any gains won by students. Well, we in the CFE will not rest untill the Irish Government gets its hand of our right to free education.'

Later in the week, coinciding with the USI occupation of the department of education along with members of the CFE, a protest had been planned by the CFE to disrupt a visit by Bertie Ahearn, who was supposedly going to address the UCD Fianna Fail Cumann. The Taoseach is believed to have pulled out of his engagement due to the agitation of students involved in the CFE.
Campaign For Free Education, is newly formed group of ordinary third level students has slammed the governments decision to increase college registration fees by 69% and Tuesday's announcment of a possible return to full fees. Group PRO Paul Dillon said;
"This is a serious attack on access to education in this country. The move will increase the drop out rate from colleges, and present a further barrier to higher education."

The group is calling on all students and their families to mount opposition to the increase. the Campaign believes that it is only through mass action of ordinary students that the fee increase will be defeated. The campaign is not just fighting for a rolling back to July 17th, before the current increase, but for truly free education which means an end to all financial obstacles placed in the way of students.

Group Secretary Paul Murphy said;
"Students must launch a substantial and concerted campign aganist fees. I fear that the fee will be increased next year unless students launch a significant campaign."
The group also condemned the governements deciosin to slash the budget of third level access schemes, designed to make entry to college easier for students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

The group's spokesperson James Redmond said that
"The recent attack on students fits in to a wider context of attacks upon public services and ordinary people. If the Skilbeck report issued a number of months ago is anything to go by then unless we organise a fightback now, we can expect further attacks on education, such as the reintroduction of full fess and an abolition of the grant similar to what has happened on the continent."

Click here to see RTE coverage of UCD protest.