THOUSANDS OF students turned out in Cork for a protest against the reintroduction of third-level fees.
Upwards of 5,000 students from all over Munster marched through the city yesterday vowing to "unite and fight" against any attempt by the Government and Minister for Education Batt O'Keeffe to reintroduce fees or double registration fees.
The protesters made their noisy way through the streets carrying banners, blowing whistles, banging drums and roaring.
"No way, we won't pay," they chanted.
The students carried placards saying: "No to Batty Politics", and "Batman is Robin Students".
The demonstration started at Cork Institute of Technology at Bishopstown before winding its way along College Road past University College Cork (UCC), then along the quays and up through Patrick Street and on to Grand Parade.
Thousands of students from UCC and Cork Institute of Technology were joined by hundreds of others from Limerick, Waterford and Tralee in a campaign called Munster Students Against Fees.
The protest follows similar marches in Galway and Limerick and will be followed by marches in Dublin, Tralee and Athlone.
UCC Students' Union president Cal Dioliún said it was a great day for the students of Munster and Ireland.
"We have demonstrated today that the students of Munster are a force to be reckoned with. We are not going to take the reintroduction of fees lying down. Over the coming months, we have to keep the momentum going and, if there are any more protests, to join them," he said.
Addressing the rally at Grand Parade, Union of Students of Ireland president Shane Kelly said the Minister thought students had a spare €8,000 in their pockets to pay for fees.
Mr O'Keeffe insists that his plan to reintroduce third-level fees will only affect the better-off in society.
He has said no detailed proposal will be made before an audit of the €25 billion annual spend on third-level education is concluded.
College fees could be reintroduced as early as 2010 if the Minister's controversial proposal is accepted by the Cabinet.
