Thousands of young Danes marched through Copenhagen on Wednesday to protest a government plan to cut student allowances. The demonstration, held under the banner “Enough is Enough,” saw 11 high school and university student associations march from City Hall Square to parliament. Organisers reported that approximately 40,000 students were on strike at 57 schools across Denmark, with 12,000 to 13,000 participating in the Copenhagen protest.
The protest was described as peaceful under sunny autumn skies, with students chanting “Broken Promises” and carrying signs such as “Save SU,” “Less Support, Less Educated,” and “Don’t Cheat the Young.” Oscar Tonsberg Hoffmann, president of the Danish High School Students’ Association and a protest organiser, stated that students are proud of the funding and economic support they receive for their education. He argued it would be wrong to dismantle what he called “one of the world’s strongest educational systems.”
The proposed cuts are contained in a draft budget bill by Denmark’s centre-left government. The plan seeks to abolish the SU allowance for students living with parents whose total annual income exceeds 700,000 Danish kroner (US$104,000). For students whose parents earn between 419,589 kroner and 700,000 kroner a year, the government proposes a progressive allowance amount. Currently, the SU is provided to all students over the age of 18.
The Higher Education Ministry estimates that around 14,000 students are expected to lose their grant, while some 8,000 would see it reduced. The SU, which has been in force since 1970, is considered a cornerstone of Denmark’s egalitarian university system. Students currently receive 1,154 kroner a month if living with parents, and 7,426 kroner if living on their own. Additionally, the government has proposed that unemployment benefits for recent graduates only be paid to those who worked during 18 of the last 24 months of their studies.
Protesters expressed frustration over the shift in policy. Kieran Hindshaw, a 23-year-old agronomy student, said he felt betrayed by the "red" government, stating he was "infuriated" that welfare and youth economies are being cut while the government funds "corporate tax reductions and warfare." He expressed hope that the demonstration would lead the government to change its mind. High school student Dagmar Demuth noted that the SU provides a "helping hand" that makes it easier to make ends meet while trying to educate oneself.
Tonsberg Hoffmann noted that high school organisations attempted to have a dialogue with the government but were unsuccessful. Within the government, the Socialist People’s Party and the Social Liberal Party have opposed the cuts but have defended the proposal nonetheless. Interior and Economic Affairs Minister Pia Olsen Dyhr, who previously vowed her party would not touch the grant system, stated, “It’s no secret that this is not an initiative that comes from us. But we have made compromises in this government, and I fully stand by them.” Meanwhile, Industry Minister and Social Liberal Party leader Martin Lidegaard described the cuts as “not pleasant decisions” but characterized them as “economically responsible policy.”
