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Opinion: Tuition hike protests: London’s riot vs. Long Beach’s ‘protest carnival’

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In England, as in California, students gathered Wednesday to protest increases to college tuition. Here’s the difference. In London, about 50,000 people showed up to a rally that became a violent protest, reports the Guardian. Meanwhile, our paper reports another story of protest outside the Board of Trustees meeting in Long Beach –- or, rather, a ‘protest carnival,’ as the demonstrators called it. The toned-down, friendly affair comprised of ‘about 40 demonstrators, including students, faculty and staff from several of the university’s 23 campuses.’ That’s it. Rather than breaking windows and spray painting messages on public property, students attempted to make their point playing symbolic games such as ‘Pin the Money on the CSU.’ While we’re glad riots didn’t break out, we have to wonder why more California students didn’t band together to display more concern about the possibility of losing access to a college education.

In London:

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In Long Beach:

More photos after the jump>>

-- Alexandra Le Tellier

London:

Long Beach:

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London photos -- Top: Student protesters smash windows as they clash with police after entering Millbank Tower home of Conservative Party headquarters Wednesday in London. Photo: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images. Bottom two: Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images.

Long Beach photos -- Top: Students played games that represented obstacles at CSUC headquarters in Long Beach. Credit: Katie Falkenberg / For The Times. Bottom photo: Students also displayed signs. Reed Saxon/AP photo.

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