Student Unions - A Hot Bed of Political Activism

Universities Worldwide Lead the Charge against Unpopular Regimes

Jun 25, 2009

From the Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989 to the Iranian election protests of 2009, students continue to be at the centre of political demonstrations worldwide.

Young Intellectuals have traditionally been the most vocal and reactive members of society. Politically aware and with no family or work responsibilities to hold them down, they are free to express their dissatisfaction with governments with the passion of youth, and belonging to universities further enables them to meet and unite in organised groups.

Their presence in key protests around the world have been well documented, from the Tiananmen Square protests to the US Invasions in Vietnam, student activists led the march and now with the advent of technology, are able to publish their accounts to a global audience.

On June 4th 1989, around 2,500 people were killed and 7,000 wounded by the military arm of the People's Republic of China as they congregated at the infamous square in Beijing to protest against the communist government. Leading up to this, thousands of students from 400 cities and universities across China mourned the death of Hu Yaobang, a pro-democracy official by organising sit-ins, boycotting classes, going on hunger strikes and marching daily at the square.

"Approximately 100,000 students and workers marched in Beijing making demands for free media and a formal dialogue between the authorities and student-elected representatives. A declaration demanded the government to accelerate political reform...they rejected official Communist-party controlled student associations and set up their own autonomous associations." (Wikipedia)

On May 4th 1970, four students were shot dead and nine wounded when state national guards opened fire on a group gathered at Kent State University in Ohio, USA. They had been part of 2,000 students that had gathered on the university commons to protest against the Invasion of Cambodia by American forces as part of the expansion of the war in Vietnam. Following the deaths, over 450 schools, colleges and universities closed as eight million students went on strike.

"Just five days after the shootings, 100,000 people demonstrated in Washington DC against the war and the killing of unarmed student protesters...The late 1960s in the U.S. became a time of youth rebellion, mass gatherings and riots [igniting] an atmosphere of open opposition to a wartime government." (Wikipedia)

French Student Protests

In April 2006, 3.1 million young people, most of them students, marched throughout France to protest against an employment bill that would give employers freedom to fire employees under the age of 26 without reason and within the first two years of employment.

During the unrest, 68 of France's 89 universities went on strike and some institutions were blockaded or occupied in one of the more violent students protests of recent times; cars and shops were vandalised and police retaliated with tear gas. The bill was eventually scrapped.

"Young people were the primary participants in the protests as the bill would have directly affected their future jobs in a way that they considered negative. In the estimated 160 protests organized around the country... organizers estimated the number [of student participants] was closer to 1.5 million." (Wikipedia)

Protests Against the 2009 Iranian Elections

Following the surprise victory of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Iran's 2009 election, thousands of supporters of his opponent Hossein Mousavi took the streets to protest against what they believed was an unfair result. Many students dressed in green, Mousavi's party colours, chanted "We don't want a dictator" and used social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter to report on developments after the state blocked foreign journalists and censored the media. Government forces raided universities at night, ransacking dorms and injuring students in attempt to curb the unrest.

"Overnight, police and hard-line militia stormed Tehran University, ransacking dormitories and arresting dozens of students. The university was the site of serious clashes against student-led protests in 1999 and is one of the nerve centres of the pro-reform movement." ("Iran Protestor Slain Amid Massive Rally", CBS news, June 15, 2009)

Students continue to be a driving force behind political reform, and advances in technology are making their voices even more potent worldwide.

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