Patrick: Within minutes of stepping off the coach, determined to remain an impartial reporter of the demonstration, a placard had been thrust into one hand and a copy of the ‘Red Student’ pressed into the other.

The infectious tune of Carly Rae Jepsen’s ubiquitous hit was stuck in my head, repeatedly chanted by the Cambridge contingent with lyrics tailored to suit the prevailing anti-Lib Dem sentiments. As someone with absolutely no experience of demonstrations, it was intriguing to notice how the moderate anti-austerity chants mingled with the rather more extreme threats to burn Tories on bonfires, sung to the tune of nursery rhymes. Even Marx was set to poetry with a shout of ‘Workers of the world unite, / Now’s the time to stand and fight’ (see below for a selection of the best chants heard on the day).

Just as long as my face wasn’t on the front pages of the nationals in the morning, next to a sign screaming ‘Occupy and Strike’, none of this really mattered.

Whilst marching along Embankment and past the Houses of Parliament, the energy of the crowd reached its climax, even if the Palestinian flags, Marxist slogans, and anti-NUS blockade left me a little confused as to what everyone was actually marching for. The long walk to Lambeth, the cause of much disgruntled feeling within the ranks of rain-battered students, certainly took its toll. It seemed a little odd to have walked past Parliament to take the protest to a residential area of south London.

In fact, as the Guardian reported on their live blog that students were rapidly breaking off from the rally to pay a visit to the nearby public houses, this Varsity reporter could confirm (from a very full pub) that this was the case.

Although I had been relatively unaware of #demo2012 before being roped into reporting in the drizzle of the capital, I can say that it certainly highlighted that the problems facing higher education provision in this country have not been simply swept under the carpet.

In fact, each time the protesters passed under a bridge and the screech of whistles and yells was deafening, the anger of this particular group of students (though I would hesitate to say a generation) was undeniable.The fees may have risen, and the education cuts may seem inevitable, but here were thousands of students willing to make a stand nonetheless.

Or if all else fails, willing to throw a soggy satsuma at the NUS President to make sure their anger is felt.

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Rosalyn: Of course the student movement is still angry about £9000 fees, but the protest today is about so much more. We are seeing a wholehearted shift in the way in which education is treated in this country. Where other countries are investing in their futures via education, in the UK students are facing prohibitive fees, no EMA, a lack of state postgraduate funding and changes to visas which mean that international students no longer have a right to stay in the UK after graduation.

These all add up to an attempt to market education as a private good, despite the obvious and widespread public benefits. Education offers life-changing opportunities; this government is closing those doors on the next generation. Cambridge students are at #Demo2012 today to campaign for a better education system now and into the future, to allow young people the chance to experience the education which we have all benefited from.

The NUS #Demo2012 today is important, but it does not end tomorrow – it has to be part of a longer-term vision, and CUSU already has plans in place for follow-up events and campaigns. Most of all, the art of peaceful protest and campaigning is about empowering people. It is about having our voices heard and fighting for the positive changes that we believe in. We are protesting because we can see the public value of education to our country. We are marching because we care about future generations.”

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Varsity's selection of the best chants of Demo 2012

“Clegg, I’ve not met you
And this is crazy
But here’s your pledges
Stand down maybe?
And all the other Libs
Regret you greatly
So here’s a backbone
Stand down maybe?”

“Dumbledore wouldn’t put up with this shit”

“Clear up the Eton Mess”

“On the twelfth day of Christmas the ConDems gave to me, cuts to my University”

“Go ahead Clegg, step down” (to the tune of ‘Golddigger’)

“Cameron is a wanker,
He wears a silk cravat,
He took one look at the
Welfare state and said
I’m not having that!
He can’t say no to bankers,
He won’t bail out the poor,
So lets show these
Con-Dem bastards the true meaning of class war!”

AND THE TWEETS: “Not very busy in the Library so far this morning - is everyone at #demo2012?” (@shhhsharn)

“We’re marching because even a good degree isn’t good enough #Demo2012” - @adi_peltz

And special mention to the student in the gorilla outfit from Bath Uni.