Tuition fees protest turns violent
By Alex Stevenson, Ian Dunt and Peter Wozniak
Dozens of tuition fee protestors managed to occupy the building containing the Conservative party’s headquarters and destroy its lobby today in a day if violence in central London.
Most of the front façade of Millbank Tower has now been destroyed. Police forced the remaining demonstrators away onto Millbank itself as the situation began to calm down.
Up to 50 demonstrators succeeded in climbing on to the roof of the building and several bonfires were lit outside.
Tuition fee protestors give their take on the demo:
Most of the activists who made it into the building were rounded up and arrested by police.
At around 16:00 GMT police began forcing protestors away from the building, as bottles were thrown and scuffles broke out.
One protestor threw a fire extinguisher from the roof, which landed just metres from police. The incident prompted protestors on the ground to chant “stop throwing stuff” at the demonstrators who managed to make it to the roof.
Comment: On the front line with student protestors
No one is believed to have been hurt in that incident, but the Metropolitan police said eight people – both protestors and police personnel – had been taken to various London hospitals suffering minor injuries.
It is not thought that a significant number of demonstrators reached the Conservative party’s offices within the building, although activists could be seen on the middle floors.
The National Union of Students (NUS) quickly moved to disassociate itself from the violence. President Aaron Porter tweeted: “Disgusted that the actions of a minority of idiots are trying to undermine 50,000 who came to make a peaceful protest.”
Initially only around ten police officers were present at Millbank, but a large contingent of police with batons soon arrived.
“During the planning stage and throughout, we have been working closely with the NUS and their event planning company. We have developed our response plan on the basis of that information, and that was to respond to a peaceful protest,” the Met said in a statement.
Student protest violence in pictures
“Sadly on the day a small minority of protestors have taken it upon themselves to cause damage to property, whilst the vast majority have peacefully made their point.”
Cowley Street, where the Liberal Democrats have their party headquarters, has reportedly been cordoned off by riot police.
MI5’s headquarters have been sealed with heavy metal doors, according to reports.
Student union groups are livid at government plans to raise the cap on tuition fees to £9,000 a year, despite proposals in the Browne review to only make students pay back the money once they earn over £21,000.
Liberal Democrats are the prime target of protests, having signed a pledge before the election promising to oppose any rise in the fees.
Nick Clegg was the primary focus of protestors’ anger during the march, but outside Tory HQ David Cameron is the main target.
The deputy prime minister, Sarah Teather and Stephen Williams are among those in the party who are particularly vulnerable because of their reliance on a student vote in their constituency.
Andy Gore, who has a daughter at university and children in college who will together leave higher education with over £100,000 of debt, said he felt let down by his local MP, business secretary Vince Cable.
“It’s the disappointment that he hasn’t kept his promise,” he said. “We’re what you call the middle, and we’re losing everything.”
Raza Chaudry, a sixth-form student from Bracknell, said: “I’m from the working class. I don’t appreciate David Cameron and Nick Clegg saying we’ve all got to make the cuts when they didn’t really have to work in life.
“I don’t have the same opportunities. I have to work so much harder. I’m not asking for favours. I just want a fair shot in life.”
Mr Porter tweeted that the protest looked like being the biggest student demo in Britain “in a generation”.
He said all MPs who broke their word would face a backlash immediately and at the ballot box.
“We will initiate right of recall to any MP who breaks their word on tuition fees,” he said.
Ironically, activists will have to wait for Liberal Democrat ministers to finalise the power of recall plans in parliament before they can use it against them.
Westminster’s only Green party MP, Caroline Lucas, has backed the protest, and said she hoped to join students on the streets this afternoon.
“This government’s assault on education funding and future generations of students seems to know no bounds,” she said.
“The recession has already had a disproportionate effect on young people’s lives, with rapidly disappearing university places and increasing youth unemployment.”
John Denham, shadow business secretary, and Gareth Thomas, shadow higher education minister, were among those who joined the march, along with representatives from the SNP and Plaid Cymru.
