Student protesting in London

Fifty thousand students are protesting the proposed rise in tuition fees in London, England. What began as a peaceful demonstration on Nov. 11, turned violent. There are reports of students spray painting anarchy symbols, setting fires, breaking windows and defacing government property. President of the National Union of Students Aaron Porter said that protest was meant to be a peaceful one, and that some took advantage of the situation and ruined the protest. The protest began because of an announcement that university tuition rates will rise from 3,000 pounds (roughly $4,800) to nearly 9,000 pounds (about $14,500) beginning in 2012. The proposed rise in tuition is from 3,000 pounds to 6,000 pounds, but the universities would be allowed to charge up to 9,000 pounds. With the budget cuts to the universities, the rise in tuition would help to fund many programs and courses that would otherwise need to be cut. Students felt betrayed by their government, or at least the Liberal Democrats who pledged not to raise tuition rates during the election. The BBC News interviewed Emily Park, a university student who participated in the protest by climbing to the roof of the building that houses the Conservative Party. “Why is our education being cut?” she asked. “Why are tuition fees going up here when in other parts people have free education?” The University Minister David Willetts assures students that the this arrangement will assist students in the long run—they are not required to pay back the tuition fees after they earn 21,000 pounds or more. So what is the big deal? Imagine that Bethel promised not to raise tuition at. Unfortunately, after making this promise to students, unprecedented circumstances forced them to not only raise the tuition fees, but double or triple the current rate. How would Bethel students respond in comparison to that of the English university students?