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Reflections on student protests and UK Uncut: 12 essential posts

In the closing months of 2010, two events shattered the assumption that government cuts would meet little opposition. One was angry student protests over tuition fees and abolition of the Education Maintenance Allowance. The other was UK Uncut's creative campaign against tax dodgers.

With them has come some rich reportage and analysis. Below we list 12 of the best. Much of the most insightful writing has come from the blogosphere, or from journalists who feel equally at home blogging and tweeting, which reinforces Reuben's defence of bloggers. No doubt we will explore these issues in more depth at next month's Netroots UK event.

Some of the articles below touch on key debates between campaigners – around questions of leadership and organisational tactics. False Economy generally takes no position on these. It's not that they don't matter – indeed on some days you will find members of our working group merrily arguing with each other on websites such as Liberal Conspiracy. But we also know the value of having a space where we can put aside such debates to look outwards – and focus on what unites us.

Here, in no particular order, are our desirable dozen:

• How UK Uncut is Shaping the Agenda
  Ellie Mae O’Hagan, New Left Project
• 2011: The year political activism and progressive politics goes open source
  Aaron Peters, Left Foot Forward
• Protest works: just look at the proof
  Johann Hari, Independent
• The philosophical significance of UK Uncut
  Alan Finlayson, openDemocracy
• A few thoughts before Pay Day
  UK Uncut
• Disabled Activists and the Anti-Cuts Movement
  Lisa J Ellwood, UK Uncut
• The student movement evolves
  Laurie Penny, New Statesman
• Fighting the cuts: The false choice between networks and organisation
  Nigel Stanley, Left Foot Forward
• These brilliant protests on tax-dodging can unite us all
  Polly Toynbee, Guardian
• Dubstep rebellion - the British banlieue comes to Millbank
  Paul Mason, BBC Newsnight
• What next for the student movement?
  Guy Aitchison, UCL Occupation
• The new Levellers
  Antony Barnett, New Statesman

Note: Be sure also to read Adam Ramsay's dispatches on student protests and UK Uncut for this blog. And do let us know in the comments below of any great posts we've missed.

• Posted by: Clifford Singer at 10:21am on 30 December 2010
• Filed under: Protest

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