Drama students bring Finchley Road to a standstill

DRAMA students stopped traffic in Swiss Cottage today as they marched against the government’s education cuts.

Around 40 protesters lined up across Finchley Road holding up banners and carrying a coffin to signify the ‘death of education’.

The students from the Central School of Speech and Drama on Eton Avenue, Hampstead, said it was “totally unrealistic” to expect them to afford the fee increases.

Joe Parslow, 19, one of those who braved the freezing conditions to protest, said; “I’m from the Central School of Speech and Drama and we’re going to lose 100 per cent of our government funding because we’re an arts education institution.

“It seems the government doesn’t think these subjects are as important as any other subjects.

“So only the rich will be able to come here and we feel the cuts are widening the gap between rich and poor.”

But Chris Priddle, student union leader, stressed that the demonstration would not descend into the violence seen at other marches.

He said: “We’re making the point in a peaceful way. We’re trying to cause disruption to make people aware, but we will remain peaceful because we want to make a distinction with some of the other stuff that’s gone on like the graffiti and damage to property.”

For full coverage of the student protests see this week’s Ham&High.