MP Caroline Lucas joins local anti-cuts movement

Photo: Aikaterini Kalou

Goldsmith students were joined last night by MPs to rally against government cuts at the “birth of a new movement.”

During the event last night, hosted by Goldsmiths’ Student Union and the University College Union, guest speakers, Green MP Caroline Lucas and president of University of London Union Clare Solomon, aimed to dispel the myth that cuts were the only option for the coalition government.

During the rally Lucas said: “Never let them say that there is no alternative. We are moving towards a model of punishment but the sustainable model is a different one that would be able to move us forward. We need to be aware of the world that we need and that we can build together”.

Youssef El Baz, leader of the ‘April 6 Youth Movement’,  added: “Free thinking is the key. You need to educate as many people as you can and help them develop an open mind.”

Earlier that day the annual ‘teach- in’ took place in the college, with academics from different departments leading open workshops throughout the campus. The lecturers held open academic discussions on alternatives to the cuts that were departmentally themed, searching for answers using a range of disciplines including anthropology, sociology and drama.

After hosting a workshop during the teach-in, Eliza Jane Darling, lecturer in the Anthropology department told ELL: “People seem to be backed into a corner and they don’t have great demands because they are afraid that things could get worse. Here at Goldsmiths we believe in alternatives even within the existing system.”

Clare Solomon, ULU president stated: “It is really nice to give a public speech here at Goldsmiths, where we have many friends. We all know that the students and the professors here are leading the movement.”

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