UPDATE: Here Is A Live Feed Of The #feesmustfall Chaos At Parliament [LIVE STREAM]
UCT students have called upon their VC to act on the increase in fees but after that failed, they have headed to their next target, parliament. This is ahead of Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene’s mid-term budget speech which he is set to deliver at 2pm today.
Just after 11am this morning, UCT protesters, made up of students, workers and lecturers, filled busses. They are expected to be joined by demonstrators from CPUT and Stellies, as student Fomisa Nqele confirmed:
We can now confirm that we have mobilised two institutions here in Cape Town – University of Cape Town and Cape University of Technology – to head to parliament and occupy parliament.
There is no clear plan of what we are going to do when we get there, we just need to make sure that everyone gets there and we need to make sure that students from CPUT get there.
We are mobilising students from Stellenbosch to get there as well before 2pm. We know that there is a house sitting at 2pm for budget.
But, of course, social media has seen various unsavoury comments from people who are turning the protests into a race-only scenario – no doubt a horrific reaction to the way students have been portrayed by the media.
Craig Burger, the “owner, designer, app/site creator at CB Pursuits Mobile App design and website” tweeted:
Please keep a watchful eye out today. It seems that UCT is under some sort of baboon invasion. Please keep your windows up remember never feed wildlife.
A Facebook post by ex-Stellies student Graydon Winkworth said:
Just a little advice to these protesters and so-called students … You recently tried to bring your shit to my university at Stellenbosch … Just remember the majority of us drive 4x4s and will not hesitate to flatten you.
These reactions have been shared and ridiculed by users of both platforms and reactions are paramount. Once response read:
Reading your comments made me realise how stupid some of you are. Bunch of idiots. Go and read more on student protests that started in Germany in the last century.”
All I can recommend is to educate yourself on the situation that is going down. It’s more than just about reducing fees.
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