Street protests as Michael Gove visits Stroud

Helena tipped me off yesterday about a protest being organised to greet the visit of Michael Gove to Marling school in Stroud.  It appears that this was only announced at the last minute.  Why he would be visiting this grammar school I don't know, but I thought I would attend to support the protestors.  Helena would have come if she hadn't been working.

I was the first to arrive, and was approached by a man who introduced himself as Nathan, and we had a convivial chat about government and how it should work for, and not against the people it represented.  We both agreed this seemed obvious although not always the case.  For those who don't know Michael Gove, he is the Secretary of State for Education for the current Conservative government of the UK.  I am not even going to attempt to explain why he so upsets so many, it would take too long.  Perhaps I will get comments from others to let them have their say on the subject.

Suffice it to say that he and his department are changing the way the education system is run and I believe, as I think did all the other protestors today, that it is absolutely wrong and inequitable.

We didn't actually see him arrive, as he must have gone in a rear entrance.  But there were many protestors including Stroud District Councillors, fellow town councillors like myself, the former Labour MP of Stroud, David Drew, the Deputy Mayor of Stroud, members of 'Stroud against the Cuts', a locally very active and effective group, parents and members of the public.  I went to speak to one man who was holding the end of a big banner, and asked him where he was from.  He said his name was Claude and that he had come from  Lydney, in the Forest of Dean, which must be at least thirty miles away on the far side of the River Severn.  He said he was very concerned and wanted to have his say.  Claude is 90 years old.  

But most importantly there were hundreds of school children attending who had just finished their classes for the day and wanted to have their say about their futures, which I thought they did in an amusing way.  There is a boys school as well as a girls school and I noticed that they were very separate in their demonstrations, with the girls being far more active, voluble and fun in the ways they protested.   I wonder if that would have been the case if they were from mixed schools.

I liked their banners very much, which I gather they spent some time this afternoon making which were of a class apart from the adult protestors because they were about their lives and futures.  
I have added a bunch of other pictures from the protest on my Flickr gallery here.

I may try to explain more about the issues a bit later, but I need to go and cook supper for us both.  Do have a look at the pictures from a good natured but heart-felt protest.