IMF Protest in King's Hall

On Saturday at 2pm, a group of Cambridge students and residents disrupted the inaugural conference of the Institute for New Economic Thinking (INET) conference in King's College, Cambridge. They unfurled a banner from a balcony within the conference hall, reading "IMF is part of the problem, not the solution".

Others attempted to disrupt the conference floor during a speech by Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the Managing Director of the IMF, to show anger at the IMF, which has imposed structural adjustment programmes, putting profit before people. Leaflets were distributed to the public as the protest continued outside the college after protestors were removed from the building by security.

Protestor Adam Reilly said: "The IMF increase inequality, privatise welfare and try to 'open up' markets for the benefit of western bankers and industry. The IMF created the crisis; we don't want their top-down 'solutions'."

An organiser of the protest, Shelly Hunt, said: "We still live in a world divided along class lines. This conference only represents one side of those dividing lines. Clearly we haven't seen the end of boom-and-bust, but even a more stable capitalism won't eradicate unemployment, poverty or climate change."

Police were called after scuffles initiated by security officials. One protester is planning to press charges, while security are not.

What do King'sfolk feel about the manager of the IMF being invited to their college? Should we as students here have a say in who is brought to our place of learning? If not, should we be told about it, or should we continue with the conference booking system that we have?

Is there anyone we wouldn't want to talk in college, or should all be welcomed, irrespective of whether we are permitted dialogue with them or not? These seem to be important questions that we should discuss as a college. Come to the next KCSU meeting to have your say.

KCSU did not condone this protest.