National Union of Students President Aaron Porter has quit, driven out by the fury of his members after he accused them of violence during the mass student uprisings in November.
Porter said yesterday he will not be seeking a second term as President in NUS elections being held in April, a move almost unprecedented in the union’s history.
Porter relaunched his attack yesterday, saying: ‘I’m never going to sit here and condone violence and if students want someone to do that then they’ll have to take a radical change of direction, but that won’t happen under my watch.’
He claimed: ‘We need to continue representing the overwhelming majority of students who care about their day-to-day issues and not inciting revolution, because that won’t get us anywhere.’
Young Socialists National Secretary Joshua Ogunleye responded: ‘Students all over the country will be glad to see him go. Porter opposed student occupations, condemned the protest demonstrations and refused to defend students against police attacks.
‘It’s important that a new leadership is built that will not just oppose the increase in fees but actually do what is necessary to get rid of them, that means uniting students with the working class and organising a general strike to bring down this government.
‘The opportunity is there to build a revolutionary leadership to lead the student movement.
‘The Young Socialists are organising across the universities to build the type of leadership that is necessary to defend education, by bringing down this government.
‘It’s important that students join the YS at the colleges and universities across the country and also come to the YS AGM on February 26.’