DOWN AT THE DEMO BY RYAN TUNNICLIFFE Damn right, stop the cuts. Can you dig it. Come on, can you dig it. Come on, come on, damn right, stop the cuts... “What is this protest about?", | wondered. Putting up posters, holding placards, marching on the street, distributing informa- tion, shouting, chanting, ranting, laughing, drumming. Coming together as students. Coming together as people with a common problem. Having a political voice. | saw two photographers fall over a third photographer as they walked backwards, taking pictures of the marching protesters. A fight almost broke out as a result of one of the three dropping a three thousand dollar zoom lens in all the confusion. | ask a couple of people, "What is this protest about?” “| think its all about the government, and how they aren't giving people enough. It's about social services and the medical system. "| think the action is over there. "It's about the government that is taking away funding. But it will take a while to implement, bureaucracy and all that. Things are going to happen faster now." Someone in the crowd tries to start a chant: Hey ho, Chretien's got to fucking go! Let's get a scream! A helpful protester reminds me that if | get tired holding a placard with one hand, then | should switch hands. | thank him for his wise words and wind my way to the drummers. Hey, hey, yukku yo, hey, hey, yukki yo yo, hey, hey, yukki yo ... The drummers lead the procession but the march has started to go the wrong way. The march organizers tell us to go around the block once, but adrenaline seems to have taken over most of the crowd, and so the march starts an hour early. | look around and see a plethora of people with pulsating cameras, each straining to get a better image than the one they last took. The anarchist-socialist- communist movement is here. (It's a movement that apparently started in San Francisco about a year ago.) A protester tells me that all the students from the Native Education Centre are at the demonstration. "When we came down here, we stopped traffic and no one disapproved. Everybody was a honkin’ in support of the cause, of us, protesting the cuts. “We still could go to classes and teachers would be there, but the teachers support- ed us to come here. “All the cuts affect everybody, and the teachers know that.” We say fight back, they say fuck that. We say fight back, they say fight back. Hey, d’ya know anybody that's got some green? “About six thousand people", | tell the apothecary, who wants to know how large the crowd is after | ask him if he knows what the protest is about. He doesn't know, and | walk with the march. Feeling the momentum push me. | talk to a man in a business suit who is waiting in his 1995 Jeep Cherokee. | notice the leather interior and the sporty cell phone resting stealthily on his dash board. He tells me: “When you have money, you don't really have to worry so much.” "Oh really!", | think to myself. “And | guess there is a conceit that comes from living in comfort, and an anger from those who see this and live in poverty." | talk to a teacher from Langara College, and she tells me that many students will not be able to go to school in the near future because of a lack of money. She also says that the government is slashing spending in the wrong places. | agree with her and walk on. | reflect on the possibility that maybe this demonstration will make Ottawa listen. If the cuts are as extreme as we are being warned they will be, then loud and dramatic gestures make sense.When will all people realize they are victims of a false social sys- tem and take a widespread action. Like in Paris; with its recent public service strikes. Leaving the demonstration, the noise of the protesters quickly fades away. The pedestrians around me seem to look like fearful but complacent sheep. a e Ss = a future. We rallied to protect the fundamental right to accessible post-secondary education, not just for our- selves but for younger brothers and sisters who are not able to exercise their voice yet. @ compared to the media's dismissive treatment of the previous year's rally. If things keep going in this direction, student concerns may become "real" issues y DOWN AT THE DEMO by RyaN TusnicurrE Doma right, stop the cuts. Can you digit Come on, can you digit Come on, come on, damn right, stop the cuts. -Whats this protest about” | wondered. Putting up posters olin placards, marching onthe tet, dsbutng informa- tin shouting, chanting, ranting, ughing, drumming. Coming together as students. Coming together as people witha common problem, Having a politica woe, saw two photographer fll ovr a thi photographer as they walked backwards, tating pictures ofthe marching protesters. ight almost broke out a5 2 result of one of the three droping a thre thousand dollar zoom les in al the confusion. Task a couple of people, “Whats this protest about” "I tink i all about the government, and how they are’ ving people enough I's ‘shout socal services andthe medical system. “I thin the action is ve there “I about the government that staking away funding But it wil take awhile to implement, bueavracy and all that. Things ae going to happen fster now” Someone in the cond tees to stata chant: Hey ho, Chretens got to fucking go! Let's eta scream! helpful protester reminds me that if et tired holding a placard with one hand, then | should site hands. thank in for his wise words and wind my way tthe drummers. Hey, hey, yuku yo, hy, he, yuki yoy, hey ey, yuki yo. The drummer ed the procession but the march as started ogo the wrong way. ‘The march organizers tel sto go around the block once, but adrenaline seems to have taken over most ofthe cond, ands the march tars an hour ear. "ook around and see a plethora of people with pulsating cameras, each training to get a better image than the one they lst ook. The anarchstscialit- communist movement is here, (tsa movement that ‘apparent started in San Frandsco about a year ago) A protester tls me that al the students fom the Native Education Cente are at the demonstration When we came down here, we stopped traffic and noone disapproved. Everybody was honk in support ofthe cause of ws, protesting the ats. “We stil ould go to cases and teachers would be there, but the teachers support- ‘esto come here. “Al the cuts affect everbody, andthe teachers now that” We say fight boc, they soy fuck tht. ‘We sy fightback, they soy fightback Hey, ya know anybody that’s got some green? “About sx thousand people, | tel the apothecary who wants to know how large the crowd is after ask im fhe knows what the protests about He dest know, and | wale with the march Feeling the momentum push me. {talk to man ina business suit whois wating in his 1995 Jeep Cheoke. | notice the leather iterior and the spot cel phone resting stealthy n his dashboard. He tele “When you have money you dort relly Rave to wary so much” Oh real think to ysl. "And | quss there i cone that comes rom ving in comfort, and an anger fom thse whose this and live in poverty” "talk toa teacher fom Langara College and she tls me that many students wil rot be abl to goto school nthe near future because flack of money. She aso says thatthe government slashing spending inthe wrong places. {agree with her and wal on Lrefet onthe possiblity that maybe this demonstration wll make Ottawa listen. If the cuts area extreme a5 we ae being warned the willbe, then loud and dramatic gestures make sense When willl people ele the are victims of fale soil ss- ‘tem and take a widespread action Like in Pars; with its recent publi service strikes. Leaving the demonstration, the noise ofthe protesters quick fates away. “The pedestians around me sem to look ie Fearful but complacent sheep. se in den Ate pres ae pre dn * RALLY REPORT By Kara BATE AND Liwna Szasz Participation by ECIAD students, faculty and ‘support staff was phenomenal! Over 180 of us ‘marched out f the campus off Granville Island, over the Gramille St. Bridge waving banners and placards. The colourful procession interfered mi mally with traf, Most drivers honked in sup port of our message: accessible post-secondary ‘education - NOT cus to transfer payments. ‘Chanting our way up Granville Mal, we rounded the comer to Robson St. and joined thousands of like-minded individuals gathered at the Central Library. Representatives from almost every post-secondary institution in the lower main= land were there: Langara, Capilano, FU, VCC, King Ed, UBC rads, Fraser Valley and Douglas. (ne of te highlights was watching people from the Native Education Centre arrive dressed in fll regalia, beating