Student protest: These are the young people who attended yesterday’s demonstration - not all of them are Black Bloc anarchists

The message of young protesters has been lost after anarchists clashed with police

Coverage of yesterday’s protest in London has been dominated by the violent clashes between Black Bloc anarchists and the police.

It was an incident between two dozen protesters and scores of police officers with 12 people arrested; the rest of the protesters - estimated at 10,000 people, were not involved in the violence.

These people came to voice their concern against the Government’s plans to cut education grants in a peaceful manner - not through smoke bombs, flares and eggs.

Here is a collection of reasons why people attended yesterday’s demonstration.

Georgia: ‘I think it puts a lot of working class students off university, it’s not fair really. Everyone should be given the same chance’.

Bradley: ‘I’m here to shout at the government because I think it would be quite nice if there were less fees and less barriers for people from disadvantaged backgrounds to enter higher education. Higher education is such a valuable experience for people to have. It seems a shame because of the cuts to maintenance grants, EMA, and increase in fees, that it’s no longer an option for people from disadvantaged backgrounds.’

Martha: ‘I’m here because the cost of education is way too high, it’s ridiculous’.

Aisha: ‘Right now I’m still in college, but realistically with the way things are going, I don’t want to spend the rest of my life owing money…’

Polly: ‘It’s an utter disgrace that students are being forced into so much debt and that education is becoming more of a privilege than a right, when it should be for the masses.’

Caitlin: ‘It’s coming to the point where you only see people from certain classes in society at university.’

Ella: ‘I’m furious about education cuts, I think it’s disgusting. I think it’s putting off students who aren’t privileged’.

Marshall: ‘What the Tories are doing isn’t fair. I feel that only a small minority are being represented.’