Activists plan ‘visual stunt’ protesting student debt sell-off

Nottingham students will today protest against the government’s plans to privatise student loans.

Activists will put on “exciting visual stunts” such as students being “crushed by their student debt.”

The potentially entertaining spectacle is set for 1pm in the Trent building’s courtyard, and has been organised by the Nottingham Left Society and the Nottingham Young Greens.

Nottingham Young Greens campaigning against the sell off  (Market Square)

Student groups have previously slammed the government’s proposal to sell student loans to private buyers.

David Willetts, the Universities Minister, has said the sell-off wouldn’t change the terms for student repayments.

Notts activists have also pledged to pester students to urge their MP to sign an Early Day Motion condemning the sell-off.

This morning we were outside parliament urging the Gov to #stoptheselloff of the student loan book. Fight with us. pic.twitter.com/Q6tCTXdU88 — NUS UK (@nusuk) March 18, 2014

Today’s protest is part of a national day of action organised by student and anti-cuts groups who want the government to drop the planned sell-off.

Activists of a more armchair variety can tweet using the hashtag #stoptheselloff.

The protest comes as George Osborne, the Chancellor, will today deliver his annual budget rumoured to set out the sell-off’s next stage.

“Exciting visual stunts” will be provided…

Calum McGregor, Communications Officer for Nottingham Young Greens, said: “This sell off is fundamentally unfair…young people, as usual, are being sacrificed to guarantee profits for private firms.

“We have already started to build a movement to oppose these divisive plans, and the campaign to force the government to back down is now stepping up a gear.”

NUCA fresher’s rep Sam Armstrong said: “”This is obviously a very small and petty protest by far-left individuals. When only 20 people out of a University of over 30000 turn up it demonstrates the extreme nature of a portents.

“In fact the whole event is frankly bizarre on the day the Chancellor announces income inequality in the UK is now at its lowest point for 28 years and he delivers a budget for hardworking people – cutting taxes across the board.”