STUDENT ACTVISTS marched through Edinburgh last Wednesday as part of a nationwide day of action held by the National Union of Students (NUS). The march, which was organised by Edinburgh University Students’ Association (EUSA), attracted approximately 120 demonstrators.

After gathering outside the Scottish Parliament, the march went up the length of the Royal Mile and down to Castle Terrace, before moving onto Melville Street and finishing with a rally outside the Scotland Office. The demonstration drew a mixed bag of reactions from pedestrians and tourists – whilst some stood and took photographs on their mobile phones, others looked on in dismay.

Lothian & Borders Police were present throughout the march, in collaboration with volunteer stewards who helped keep the protest orderly.

Matt McPherson, the President of EUSA, told The Student that, “one of the things that makes Scottish universities so important is that they are ambitious, outward looking, global institutions and we want to make sure that they remain that way.

“A third of our students are from the rest of the UK and we have to represent them as much as we can and as much as we would for any Scottish student. One in every three students in your class – they’re going to have their fees quadrupled for new entrants, come September 2012. “We find that position totally unacceptable, and that’s something that’s come directly from the Scottish government and which I think it’s got off too lightly with.”

Naomi Beecroft, a 2nd year Philosophy student who participated in the protest, also spoke to the Student on the importance of campaigning on behalf of Rest-of-UK (RUK) students. She said, “It’s not just about safeguarding for Scottish students – it’s about solidarity – and saying that fees for anyone are bad.

“We agree with the free education for Scottish students but we also want to tell people that fees for anyone are bad. We agree with the safeguarding of Scottish students, but that’s still against the principle of free education and it still commoditises education; we’re going to fight.”

At the rally held at the finish point of the march, Iain Macwhirter, the rector of the University of Edinburgh also spoke in support of the action. Railing against the recent decision to raise tuition fees for incoming RUK students, he said, “I’m supposed to uphold the reputation of this academic institution, and what does it do for the reputation of Edinburgh University to be seen to be cashing in on English students? “What does it do for the reputation of Edinburgh University to have Scottish students sitting next to their English classmates and be thousands of pounds less in debt?”

However, not everyone was so supportive of the protest.

Responding to a poll conducted by The Student, one respondent was less sympathetic with the protesters, saying, “At a time like this, there are portions of the population who are being affected far more seriously than students. As a student whose family is unable to give me any financial support towards my University education, I believe the current system is fair - whether fees are 1,000 or 9,000.

“The hike would not prevent working class children with an academic interest like me from applying – your fees are paid for you, and you only pay them back gradually once you can afford to. ”

Despite the police escorting the march into a closed road, some protestors were unwilling to enter the fenced-off area provided initially for the rally. Only when officers at the scene widened the space to make it clear that there were no plans for containment did the crowd enter. Robin Parker, the president of NUS Scotland, gave a speech in which he claimed, “[The Scottish government] have gone beyond even the Tories and the Lib Dems of whom they take pride in shaming day in day out down south and that is absolutely unacceptable.”

Students from St Andrews, Heriot Watt, Glasgow, Strathclyde and Aberdeen universities also attended the protest.