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| Riots on Campus! |
| 04.29.04 (3:29 pm) [edit] |
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Wits University (pronounced 'Vits'), the school in Johannesburg that we're studying at this semester, has been experiencing some of your old- school South African protests these last few days. There hasn't been much violence, but a lot of window- smashing and vandalism. One kid even said that if the police were to try to interfere with their demonstration, many in the group were willing to die for their cause (I'm not sure about that...).
The whole thing started last week when the school gave out letters informing people that their financial aid would be cut by up to 50%. Everything really blew up on Monday when about 3,000 students boycotted classes to express their outrage on the main campus square. The protesters started running into classrooms to knock over desks and tear up exams, hoping to provoke more students into ditching. There were riot police on scene the whole time, and at least a dozen people were arrested when things started to get out of hand.
The scene has calmed down a little by now, but supposedly no agreement has been reached and the class boycott is set to continue. The Student Representative Council president told the crowd that had gathered around the center of campus: "We told them we want a full package of financial support. We will stay here until the walls of this building collapse."
This issue, like every issue in South Africa, has inevitably become one of race. Whites are still granted more aid because of Dutch church organizations and crap like that, so you can't really blame the the black students for being pissed in the end. Anyway, as with every significant issue of race or otherwise in this country, an unrestrained public demonstration has come about to address it.
Ultimately, the finance issue is being blamed on the University's Vice Chancellor by the students, while the school is saying the it's the Government's fault for reducing their funding. Overall, the situation very much resembles what has been going down with college tuition Stateside - now if we could only get those worthless American students to stand up and revolt...
¡Viva la Revolution!
Commandante Fitch
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posted by: youyoumomma (reply)
post date: 04.30.04 (1:22 am)
Are you guys, or your dorm or class standings in danger??
My email is acting strange, so I only have this mode of communicating.
Justin, did you get the computer battery?
Mom
posted by: newbie (reply)
post date: 04.30.04 (3:32 am)
No on both accounts - our shit is safe, which is good. The battery hasn't come yet, which is bad.
posted by: dlfitch (reply)
post date: 04.30.04 (3:47 am)
Oops, that was me - guess I wasn't logged in. What a waste of tBucks...
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