Dear Daydreamer;

This is video footage from the student protests in Dublin yesterday. My flatmates and I were right in the middle of the chaos as we fought to prevent the student fees from rising to 3,000 a year.

Many people are entering their final year of degree courses next year and are suddenly facing the fact that they may not be able to finish college if the fees are raised.

The police were completely out of hand. In the video there’s a clip of a man with blood all over his face from being hit twice with a baton. I’m behind him on the phone with emergancy services, calling an ambulance. The riot police were hitting sitting, peaceful protesters.

The Irish police were not trained to handle the situation with any morals or savvy. In the video you can see people being pulled by the hair across the ground. When I joined the group who stormed the financial building on Baggot Street I was hit in the face by a member of the gardai and was pulled out by my hair. Many other students were seriously injured. While I waited for the ambulance there was a young man with a broken leg. He was injured whilst being dragged from the financial building by the gaurds.

I am one of thousands who cannot afford to attend college in September 2011 if fees are raised. It was fascinating to see the Irish people finally standing up for something they believe in. And yeah, people can critisise our methods and say that we let it get out of hand but I believe that this will send a clear message to the government and let them know that we won’t stand for their bullshit. Hopefully they will make some changes in order to avoid another, stronger riot.