IN RESPONSE to Donna Greenwood (Letters, December 16), I think the students protesting against education cuts and fees are not “far from reality” but are “opening [their] eyes to the real world”.

They see a world where politicians lie; a world where we pay for the crimes of bankers and business; a world where cuts, lay-offs and evictions that affect the majority come at the whim of the ruling minority; a world where the media twists the truth (don’t believe everything you read); a world where police on horses charge at schoolchildren; where police kettle people for six hours in below-zero temperatures and put others in hospital and tear men out of their wheelchairs. Is this the world people died for? But as long as men in uniforms directed by men in suits do it, it’s not the acts of “mindless thugs”, it’s “law” and “order”.

But some people are happy living in this world, and also happy for people to be shot on sight in cold blood, apparently.

This is the sad reality we live in, and why the right to education is paramount to the building of a new one.

Henry Raby, York.

• WHEN the students who caused such terrible damage on their latest demonstration are caught, I hope as well as being punished by the law they will be kicked out of university.

Watching them abusing the Cenotaph and the Union flag, relieving themselves up against Winston Churchill’s statue, damaging the Prince of Wales’s car and scaring the life out of the Duchess of Cornwall, kicking in windows and starting fires up all over London, are we supposed to shrug our shoulders and say it’s just high spirits? I don’t think so.

The students’ disgusting behaviour was followed on the lunchtime news by a young soldier being flown back from Afghanistan in his coffin.

It is our armed forces who need help and money, not the whinging and whining students who, on their actions on the last three demonstrations, do not deserve a penny of taxpayers’ money.

Joy Webster, Manor Drive, Acomb, York.