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| Teenage anti-austerity protesters in Bristol challenge ‘lazy’ stereotype | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| “There are so many people here. It shows that we’re unhappy about what’s going to happen, and solidarity in making sure the cuts are reduced.” | “There are so many people here. It shows that we’re unhappy about what’s going to happen, and solidarity in making sure the cuts are reduced.” |
| Only days after her last A-level exam, Fatin Guled was one of a group of young women from Bristol who were leading thousands of protesting students at Saturday’s national anti-austerity demonstration in London. | Only days after her last A-level exam, Fatin Guled was one of a group of young women from Bristol who were leading thousands of protesting students at Saturday’s national anti-austerity demonstration in London. |
| Guled – with her friend Rosie Simmons, 18, and five other schoolmates – was asked to head the student bloc at the End Austerity Now demo after the success of a protest they organised in their home city. They are part of a wave of young DIY activists using the internet to engage their peers in political campaigns. Simmons said: “We saw reports of the protest in London [on 9 May] and we were all on Twitter saying we wished there was a protest in Bristol we could go to. Fatin said, ‘Well, we could just make one.’ We invited all of our friends on Facebook and it just took off.” | Guled – with her friend Rosie Simmons, 18, and five other schoolmates – was asked to head the student bloc at the End Austerity Now demo after the success of a protest they organised in their home city. They are part of a wave of young DIY activists using the internet to engage their peers in political campaigns. Simmons said: “We saw reports of the protest in London [on 9 May] and we were all on Twitter saying we wished there was a protest in Bristol we could go to. Fatin said, ‘Well, we could just make one.’ We invited all of our friends on Facebook and it just took off.” |
| About 5,000 people attended the peaceful event in the centre of Bristol on 13 May. Guled said she was astounded by the high turnout: “It was incredible to see members of our community of all ages and backgrounds.” | About 5,000 people attended the peaceful event in the centre of Bristol on 13 May. Guled said she was astounded by the high turnout: “It was incredible to see members of our community of all ages and backgrounds.” |
| Four of the seven friends attended Saturday’s demonstration, which was the start of a summer of action. | Four of the seven friends attended Saturday’s demonstration, which was the start of a summer of action. |
| Simmons said: “We’re protesting against the idea that in order to fund this country we have to take away from the people who are already suffering and struggling the most.” | Simmons said: “We’re protesting against the idea that in order to fund this country we have to take away from the people who are already suffering and struggling the most.” |
| The group has scheduled another demonstration in Bristol on 8 July, the day George Osborne will deliver his new budget. They plan to collect for local food banks and to start supporting women’s shelters. “Our protest has given us quite a big platform in Bristol, particularly because we’re so young,” said Simmons. “We intend on using that platform to do as much as we can to combat and challenge the cruel effects of austerity.” | The group has scheduled another demonstration in Bristol on 8 July, the day George Osborne will deliver his new budget. They plan to collect for local food banks and to start supporting women’s shelters. “Our protest has given us quite a big platform in Bristol, particularly because we’re so young,” said Simmons. “We intend on using that platform to do as much as we can to combat and challenge the cruel effects of austerity.” |
| Young people are the least likely to vote – only 43% of those aged 18-24 did so in May – yet grassroots initiatives can have a far-reaching effect on disillusioned youth. | Young people are the least likely to vote – only 43% of those aged 18-24 did so in May – yet grassroots initiatives can have a far-reaching effect on disillusioned youth. |
| Robbie Lee, 16, from Manchester, was dismayed by the lack of formal political education offered by his school and decided to set up his own mock election. The turnout was around 85% – higher than the actual figure nationwide. | Robbie Lee, 16, from Manchester, was dismayed by the lack of formal political education offered by his school and decided to set up his own mock election. The turnout was around 85% – higher than the actual figure nationwide. |
| “It was surprising how much interest and engagement there was across school, with people going home and researching [politics],” Lee said. | “It was surprising how much interest and engagement there was across school, with people going home and researching [politics],” Lee said. |
| It was the buildup to the Scottish referendum, in which 16- and 17-year-olds were allowed to vote for the first time, that inspired him and his friends to get involved. “There is potential on a national level for dealing with that supposed apathy,” he said. “Allowing 16- and 17-year-olds to vote in the EU referendum would do a lot of repair to the disillusion.” | It was the buildup to the Scottish referendum, in which 16- and 17-year-olds were allowed to vote for the first time, that inspired him and his friends to get involved. “There is potential on a national level for dealing with that supposed apathy,” he said. “Allowing 16- and 17-year-olds to vote in the EU referendum would do a lot of repair to the disillusion.” |
| Abby Tomlinson, 17, had not been involved in any political campaigning before she started the online #Milifandom campaign from her Twitter account. She and a group of like-minded teenagers created humorous graphics to protest at what they saw as unfair media representation of Ed Miliband. | Abby Tomlinson, 17, had not been involved in any political campaigning before she started the online #Milifandom campaign from her Twitter account. She and a group of like-minded teenagers created humorous graphics to protest at what they saw as unfair media representation of Ed Miliband. |
| “Online campaigning can be more effective in a way, because it can reach more people,” said Tomlinson, who thinks it is easier for young people to become directly engaged online. | “Online campaigning can be more effective in a way, because it can reach more people,” said Tomlinson, who thinks it is easier for young people to become directly engaged online. |
| She has had “Milifans” as young as 14 showing interest in her campaign, as well as 20-year-olds telling her that it had persuaded them to vote for the first time. “You need something to grab people’s attention,” she said. “Once they’re engaged, that’s it for life.” | She has had “Milifans” as young as 14 showing interest in her campaign, as well as 20-year-olds telling her that it had persuaded them to vote for the first time. “You need something to grab people’s attention,” she said. “Once they’re engaged, that’s it for life.” |
| Next year, Tomlinson says, she may be able to use time gained from taking one fewer subjects in the final year of her A-level courses to devote more time to activism. She hopes to use social media to spread the word of future campaigns | Next year, Tomlinson says, she may be able to use time gained from taking one fewer subjects in the final year of her A-level courses to devote more time to activism. She hopes to use social media to spread the word of future campaigns |