Student protests: Zombie-like mass mutism is the best way

Students should be seen and not heard

I understand that UK students protesting against tuition fee hikes have already been kettled by the cops close to Westminster Palace. Quite right. At least 200 of them went running down Whitehall in breach of an agreement with the Met, so what do they expect to happen? Ah yes, media martyrdom. Now listen to Madame.

A much more effective form of protest would be mass insolent mutism. Or the People's Silence. This would involve crowds of tens of thousands of students gathering as close to guilty buildings as legally allowed and just standing there saying nothing for hours on end. If the police ordered dispersal - because they have suppers to go home to -  protesters should refuse and lie down on the spot (still saying nothing) feigning death, whatever the weather. If anyone was injured it would be the fault of the police entirely as they attempted to drag protesting carcasses from a to b. Such a protest would require nerves of steel, iron discipline and cold fury.

On TV the effect would be chilling because mass crowds standing about silently is anti-nature, anti-expectation of youth; redolent of zombie movies. The lack of drama would serve to emphasise the pre-meditation and thereby communicate the contained fury: the best kind of psychological drama. Also, photographers would be deprived of police evidence or lucrative shots for their lizardy right-wing print editors.

Anger is a form of energy and must be controlled for effect, particularly against an establishment media, thuggish police and lying politicians. But I suspect anger is wasted on the young.