London rocked by massive student protests

Student protests against rising fees and budget cuts spiralled into violence Wednesday, as demonstrators infiltrated Conservative Party headquarters

by Luci Ellis

An estimated 52,000 angry students took to the streets of London yesterday to demonstrate against increasing tuition fees and cuts to state funding of universities.This is according to the British daily The Guardian.

A small fringe group entered the Conservative Party’s headquarters, and hurled missiles at police. A total of 35 protesters were arrested.

The Metropolitan Police have been criticised for failing to anticipate the scale of the protests.

14 hospitalised after violent clashes

The protesters began by marching through central London to display their anger over government plans to raise tuition fees as high as GBP 9,000 while making 40 per cent cuts to state funding for university teaching.

The protest turned violent as around 200 people stormed 30 Millbank, the home of the Conservative Party in London. Here, police clashed with a crowd who threw sticks, eggs and some bottles.

Demonstrators smashed the windows of the building and scaled the roof, waving anarchist flags. 14 people, including some police officers, were taken to the hospital as a result of the clashes.

Students: »The fight of our lives«

The violence has been condemned by the British student organisation NUS. However, they were pleased by the turnout at the demonstration, which they are calling the biggest student demonstration in generations.

NUS president Aaron Porter told protesters: »We're in the fight of our lives. We face an unprecedented attack on our future before it has even begun. They're proposing barbaric cuts that would brutalise our colleges and universities.«

luci@adm.ku.dk

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