Re-elect Clare Solomon #1 ULU President. ALL* University of London students can vote, ie, you do NOT need a ULU card.

Well, the elections have started with a bang. At 11am Friday morning (so 47 hours after voting opened) over 1,200 votes had been cast. For the whole week last year, there were around 2,000. I feel confident that my manifesto pledge of last year to increase turnout to elections will be not broken.

Clare and Tariq drink radical beer! Thanks to the students of Courtauld Institute for this lovely publicity-it certainly lubricated the campaign trail

We’ve had loads of lovely endorsements so far and people from many different groups are helping out, from FOSIS to the African – Caribbean Societies, from Women’s to Football teams.

I have support from lots of ULU colleges:. Here’s a selection of some of them:

Daisy Jones, President of the Courtauld Institute and the crew there made these fantastic beers –>

Daniel Lemberger Cooper Royal Holloway President-elect and ULU Senator

Active, campaigning and creative unions of the kind that Clare has developed over her short time at ULU are going to be key in fighting against the government’s public spending cuts and their devaluing of education. She has been central to the movement’s upsurge, a committed organiser who has made the University of London Union relevant again! Vote Re-elect Clare Solomon #1 ULU President

Tahmeena Bax Queen Mary

Vote to Re-elect Clare Solomon #1 ULU President for a President that will fight against racism and not stand by as students are intimidated, kettled, beaten by police and liberation campaigns smashed and silenced!

Wanda Canton Queen Mary Women’s Officer.

Clare Solomon has genuinely worked hard to resist the appalling and discriminatory cuts of the coalition. Considering the heightened controversy of the student movement this year, she has stood by us and led a ULU union with integrity and honesty. If don’t want to stand by whilst fees hike, public services are obliterated, and the poorest, least represented communities are isolated further and blocked from education and welfare; VOTE CLARE #1 brap brap!

James Haywood Goldsmiths President-elect and ULU Senator

Go Clare! 100% support! Been absolutely amazing for ULU to have Clare as President, we need another year of it!…For a University of London Union that will campaign like it used to against Apartheid in the 1980s!

ULU Tango Society: Tangology Org

Claire offered ULU students the “gift of tango”, a life changing hobby. We hope to be able to resume activities soon. Thank you Claire!

Mark Bergfeld

Clare is at the heart of the struggle. She has made ULU the hub of the students’ movement and will continue to make it the centre of the movement. I wish Clare all the best in her campaign!!!

Sky Yarlett

Clare has been at the front-line of the student movement, representing thousands of students voices, showing the government that students will not back down and take £9k fees!

I personally and professionally know Clare is one of the hardest working women out there! She doesn’t understand the idea of office hours and can be found working at all hours!

Re-elect Clare Solomon for ULU President!

Sky Yarlett

NUS LGBT Committee (Open Place) p.c.

Aaron Kiely

Go Clare! Stunning in her defence of students and her attack on the Tory-led government’s destructive policies. There is only one choice and that’s for Clare Solomon!

Bryan Simpson

Clare is simply one of the most charismatic and inspirational student leaders in Britain at the moment. She has the fire and commitment to further solidify ULU’s reputation as the centre of the anti-cuts movement. Vote Solomon #1 for ULU President.

Here’s my hustings at 4min 26 secs. Then Q & A’s. Hear all the hustings for all the positions, from those that came, in this lengthy video courtesy of the fantastic QMTV. Loved the question ‘What is Liberation and how would you campaign for this?’ at the end of the video…

Thanks for all the support-let’s make this turnout a record year to match the increase in turnover and footfall!

HOW TO VOTE

ALL University of London students can vote (you don’t need a ULU card)- and here’s how:

1- Check your uni/college email. You should have been sent a Username and Password from ULU*. The subject of the email is ‘2011 ULU Elections Password’.

2- Log on at www.ulu.co.uk/elections/election and cast your vote.

3- Share with all your friends!

ULU President. *ALL* University of London students can vote, ie, you do NOT need a ULU card.

Click to enlarge and/or print off for your campus. And you could upload or 'Share' on facebook. *ALL* University of London students can vote, ie, you do NOT need a ULU card. Even students overseas on year abroad

*ALL* University of London students can vote, ie, you do NOT need a ULU card.

The University of London Union needs a President who sticks to their manifesto pledges and defends education for all, unlike the Cleggs and Camerons of this world. I promised a campaigning ULU: you got it, with ULU at the heart of the student protests over cuts and fees.

Voting details: ONLINE ONLY 9-16th March. Check your college inbox (and check spam) for your username and password. If you can’t find it email elect2011@ulu.lon.ac.uk.

See all the manifestos at http://www.ulu.co.uk/elections/content/index.php?page=98225

Join the Facebook group HERE

I’m proud of the role ULU played in helping pull together the biggest student movement for a generation. ULU helped support occupations and demonstrations across the city, becoming a powerful voice for students in London and beyond. That’s a voice we will need over the coming year as education faces exceptionally tough times.

A more relevant, visible ULU means greater student engagement. ULU’s turnover is up, with 11,000 more people through our doors than last year. I’ve organized events and conferences on everything from education to immigration, and widened ULU’s range of cultural activities, along with the NUS Black Students conference.

As promised, I’ve taken steps to improve ULU democracy, establishing the regular London Student Assemblies and ensuring Senate meetings are open to all.

I want to build on this record by pushing ULU harder, improving our services and policies, and ensuring the London Living Wage is implemented here and across university institutions. I will continue to work with and apply pressure on the NUS, working with them where possible and taking a lead where they fail us.

I’m asking for your vote to ensure London students keep their union campaigning.

See my manifesto at ulucampaigner.wordpress.com and join in the campaigns

Get your Tunisia solidarity Tshirt

Philosophy Football have produced this excellent T shirt in support of the Tunisian revolution. You can get yours here.

" If, one day, a people desires to live, then fate will answer their call." Abul-Qasim Al-Shabi
Tunisia 2011, the people with popular protest and civil disobedience have overthrown a ruthless despot. Chanting in the streets the words of the great Tunisian poet of the early twentieth century, Abul Qasim Al-Shabi. Philosophy Football have produced this T-shirt to help promote solidarity, featuring the poetry in the original Arabic. With a shattered Tunisian flag, representing the structures of totalitarianism which divided their country for generations that the the politics of partnership Tunisians are themselves are now constructing to dismantle.  At a special low campaign price of just £16.99

Latest on the near on revolution in Tunisia

I've copylefted this from Luna17 because it is excellent! Thanks luna

Join the Support Tunisia facebook page for very regular updates

Latest at 18.00 (reverse order): 

SOURCES SAY BEN ALI HAS FLED TO MALTA. OTHERS SAY TO FRANCE. STILL TO BE VERIFIED. SOME REPORTS ALSO SAY SOME OF HIS CORRUPT RELATIVES HAVE BEEN ARRESTED. STILL TO BE VERIFIED

THE TYRANT BEN ALI HAS FLED THE COUNTRY. LEADER OF PARLIAMENT TEMPORARILY IN CHARGE. CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL TUNISIANS

Army surrounds Carthage presidential palace, and the airport with tanks. Rumours that army taking over, and that soldiers have arrested some of the President's in-laws, the Trabelssi family at the airport as they try to flee the country! (to be verified)

=====================

Channel 4 News is currently liveblogging events in Tunisia, where the popular revolt appears to be growing and threatening key sites of power like state television. The government and parliament have both been disbanded.

For understanding the dramatic events in Tunisia I highly recommend two articles by SOAS student activist Joseph Daher, both published at Counterfire in the last few days:
Tunisia and Algeria: the wind of anger rises
Gunfire in Tunis: Protests and repression continue

There will be a solidarity protest in London on Monday, followed by a public meeting (at University of London Union) on Thursday.

Protest at Tunisian Embassy in London - Monday 17 January, 2.30pm - see HERE

Public meeting in solidarity with Tunisia uprising - Thursday 20 January, 7.30pm - see HERE

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Philosophy Football: CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS AT THE HOPEMAS PARTY!

Philosophy Football's Christmas party on Friday 17 December. Why 'Hopemas'?

The Hopemas Christmas party celebrates the victorious Hope not Hate campaign against the BNP in Barking and is generously supported by the PCS trade union. A superb line-up featuring the briliant poetry of Lemn Sissay. Performing a special version of her hit Edinburgh show 'Afroblighty' (on nationwide tour in 2011) the supremely talented comic Andi Osho. Rap mixed with comedy from Doc Brown opens the night. Mixing ideas with the entertainment contributions from Clive Bloom author of the very topical Violent London : 2000 Years of Riots, Rebels and Revolts, Owen Hatherley author of the recently published book A Guide to the New Ruins of Great Britain, PCS National Executive Member Zita Holbourne, and Guardian columnist Aditya Chakrabortty. Plus filling the dancefloor into the early hours, music from the Melstars sound system

Tickets are just £8.99 and each ticket is a £5 OFF voucher on shirts on the night so combine the evening with your Christmas shopping!

At Philosophy Football's usual party venue The New Red Lion 271 City Road, London EC1V 1LA.

Book either at http://www.philosophyfootball.com/view_item.php?pid=638 or call 020 8802 3499 to book.

London Calling: Dec 9th National demo against tuition fees

Dear fellow campaigners, what a long time a few weeks in politics can feel.

From Millbank to Newsnight, from Carnivals to Cat & Mouse games, ULU has certainly been at the forefront of student activism recently.

At Senate we voted to support peaceful direct actions and occupations and have been heavily involved in the building and organisation of various actions and demos and have called a National demo on Thursday Dec 9^th the day that MP’s will vote in Parliament on the raising of tuition fees.

As you can imagine, it’s been a really busy time so I’m sorry for not replying to all the thousands of requests to speak and/or attend meetings etc.

Six of ULU’s colleges are in occupation and many more actions are planned in the run up to the National Demo. ULU has been really active with all sorts of thing.

Our newly formed London Student Assembly is attracting hundreds of students each Sunday. We submit and pass motions, decide democratically what actions to take next and basically use these assemblies to coordinate our actions to ensure we have maximum unity and strength. The process was a bit painful to start with with the 1^st meeting taking over 3 hours! but we felt it was essential to make sure we are all singing off the same songsheet.

Yesterday we reconfirmed our support for a National Student Assembly sometime in early January. We will let you know more about this closer to the time.

Here’s a few more things that you can get involved in:

1) London Calling: National Demo on the day of the Fees Vote in Parliament.

Here’s a poster for Thursdays demo for you to print off and ut up or handout as flyers. I also have some available at ULU for those of you who don’t have a budget to do at your college.

http://ulucampaigner.wordpress.com/2010/12/05/london-calling-national-demo-against-tuition-fees/

It is imperative that we get as many people to ULU as possible in order to prevent more kettling and containments. If you are organising a meet up point at your campus please then bring it to ULU for 12 NOON.

...and I'm really please that NUS are now promoting this demo.

2) Please volunteer to be a Steward for the demo. Email campaigns@ulu.lon.ac.uk

3) Here also is the link to the Kings College (a ULU college) Petition that has already gathered 900 signatures in two days:http://www.gopetition.com/petition/41174/signatures.html

4) Don’t forget the ULU trip to Berlin for Holocaust Memorial Day. Book your flights and email campaigns@ulu.lon.ac.uk to let me know or call me to ask more details on 07850 177 637. See http://tinyurl.com/uluberlin for more details.

MP's Vote Against Fees Petition

In the coming week, the need to engage with the the wider public, the media and, most
importantly, the British Government, should lie at the very heart of
everything we do.

In this vein, a few of us at KCLSU have put forward a petition. In the
run-up to next week's vote, an intelligent poltical focus will prove
to be one of our greatest assets.

In it, we demand that MPs votes AGAINST the rise in tuition fees.

You can read it here: http://tinyurl.com/voteagainstfees

I would be extremely grateful if you could take the time to read what we have put forward and add your
signature if you agree with our sentiments. If you could also take a
few minutes to spread the word about this, then that would be
fantastic.

It is fair to say that we are sick of being branded lazy, apathetic
trouble-makers. A petition such as this provides a formal and academic
lobbying of our MPs. Our aim is to present this petition to Parliament
on Thursday and we need as many signatures as possible for this to
work. Tell your friends, family, dog - whoever. We need to get this
message out there.

Through this we can show them that we are not the uneducated, naive,
disaffected generation they would so readily have us be.

Thanks,

Natasha

Natasha Wynarczyk,

Editor-in-Chief of Roar,

VP Media and Engagement at KCLSU

Carnival of Resistance 24th Nov 2010 for National Day of Action

Nick Clegg talks to the hand

Daily Mail report and brilliant photos HERE.

The Guardian HERE

We were in the Financial Times, the Metro, on BBC News at 6 & 10pm then also the next day.

On Wednesday, what Nick Clegg intended to be a beautiful publicity stunt turned into a PR disaster when students

managed to grab the media attention. This photo I took inside 70 Whitehall demonstrates, perhaps, how scared the government are at the moment.

12 students from higher education and school students were invited to ‘discuss developing policy on the future of Higher Education Funding’ on the day that the coalition government released their report on education cuts.

He invited me, Clare Solomon, and 11 other education representatives, all of whom have colleges in Lib Dem constituencies, to what I can only describe as a sham consultation.

At 12.30 he released his report into the Brown Review. We were to meet him at 1pm. This gave us no time to download, digest and analyse the content therefore making a mockery of his attempt to pass off the meeting as though he had discussed it thoroughly with us.

Prior to the meeting we decided to write Hands Off Education on the palms of our hands a couple of us wore t-shirts with slogans on them underneath our regular clothes and managed to get past security with them concealed.

When Clegg invited the BBC to do a 3 minute panoramic shot of him looking cosy with students I was able to remove my shirt and tie and expose the message “Remember, Remember, the 3^rd of November: The Coalition Government Plot Blows Up Education’. His minders quickly tried to hide my striking t-shirt by surrounding me but I kept moving and waving my palm in the air.

This set the tone of the meeting, at which all students were very angry with Clegg, his bogus meeting and his defending of the massive cuts to education that he and his party are supporting.

Mr Clegg, along with all his Liberal Democrat colleagues, signed a pledge to vote against any rise in tuition fees. This Wednesday it was confirmed that the Deputy Prime Minister intends to break his promise and vote for fees to be trebled to £9,000 a year, despite having proposed their abolition at the general election and signing a pledge to “vote against any increase in fees.”

We demanded to know why the LibDems broke their manifesto promise of removing fees. Clegg said ‘you may live in a bubble but in the real world we have no alternative; what’s YOUR alternative then?’ he asked!! What a cheek. We told him to stop allowing companies like Vodaphone to dodge taxes, to halt the 55% pay increases for the bosses, to implement a progressive tax system across society, to stop funding war and Trident.

He said ‘that is complete nonsense’!!

When he tried to justify the loans scheme that poorer students will have to take to afford the fees one of the school students asked ‘are you saying that debt is acceptable?’

Elliot from Leeds Uni brought up the fact that Muslim students may not be able to take out loans because of the interest that is associated with the loans so large swathes of people will also not be able to afford the fees.

Elliot also pointed out that since education benefits the whole of society not just the individual who receives it (an educated society is more likely to vote, to have lower infant mortality, is more healthy etc etc) and that, therefore, it should not be the individual that pays. We need to push for progressive taxation across the whole of society so that the rich pay more tax and the poor less. This is the only fair way to fund the best education system.
We told him that we are committed to fighting both the cuts to education and to wider society and also against fees. We told him about the NUS & UCU demo; and we told him we will be hounding the LibDems wherever they go (like the EducCamp students in London have been doing to Vince Cable)

See you on November 10^th. Don’t forget the Big Demo and Breakfast at ULU from 8am, banner & placard making and student press conference at 10.15 all at ULU. Ask your coach to drop you at Mallet St.

Email campaigns@ulu.lon.ac.uk to book your breakfast. We have over 1,200 booked in so far so make sure you let me know asap.

see: http://ulucampaigner.wordpress.com

See more videos on this playlist: http://www.youtube.com/my_playlists?p=5A612FD02298763C

Fees rise to £9k, 100% cut to Arts & H-tell me ur protest details by 1-2pm...

Remember, remember, the 3rd of November. And I'm going to parliament! I've just heard that 20 coaches from Sheffield University are fully booked up for the demo next Wednesday. If this is representative Nov 10th will be the biggest anti-cuts demo yet. The uprising starts here and with the students...send me photos of your protests today so I can tell the government!

Fees to rise to £9k, 100% cut to Arts & Humanities funding and much worse.

This is the beginning of the proverbial nail in the coffin.

We need huge response from students today.

As you may know, I've been invited to Nick Cleggs office today. I need msgs from students and unions by 1-2pm about what your response is.

Hold a flash protest or more at 1pm today, email, twitter, Facebook, leaflet if poss etc to get as many people out on the streets, shout at something, make some visuals, a3 paper makes a simple placard!

Dress up in funeral black. Paint messages on your hands/face/Walls and anything visual.

Send photos/videos to me atc.Solomon@ulu.lon.ac.uk by 1-2pmand/or by text on both 07850177637 and07535629289 so I can inform media at Parliament. Spread the news.

Sent from my iPhone

t 07850 177 637

w www.ulucampaigner.wordpress.com

w www.counterfire.org