Quote Originally Posted by ramAnag View Post
I know you’ll think I’m defending Swale (he doesn’t need it) and extending my love affair with him (too ridiculous for words), but you question that it was a ‘far right demo’.
I’d suggest you look at the principle organisers before reaching a conclusion. If you can’t find them I’ll list them. They are all of a far right persuasion and in that respect it was, unquestionably, a ‘far right demo’.
Tbh I’m quite surprised there were as few as there were there. From the little I’ve read the absolute maximum number of participants was between 100,000 and 150,000 and I’m sure I, possibly you too, were on bigger student demos in London in the 1970’s
It really isn’t that big a number, especially in these troubled times, but it was, without a shadow of doubt, organised by those on the far Right.
I think there is a big difference between "who organises" and "who goes" in outlook. For sure the front men were of the extreme right persuasion but those who went were unquestionably more of a mixed (dare I say balanced) bag. As I said before, I was talking to two guys who went, neither are extreme and both voted labour at last election but are sick of what labour has done. I think they voted labour as a protest versus the mess the Tories created, but very much not extremists - just frustrted individuals.

My memories of student marches of youth are way smaller than that. But i was in Birmingham and twenty minutes in we mostly descended on a local pub to ease the tired legs!! I recall a "Workers, students, unite.Smash the social contrick" protest one Saturday but most people headed off to Villa Park in short order....