Protests over education fees erupt into violence
Students fighting to stop education cuts in the UK were divided tonight over the justification of violent clashes at the headquarters of the Tory party.
One man from Manchester said smashed windows and wounded police officers were “a necessary evil” as young people fought to get their message across.
About 50 riot police moved in just after 5pm as the majority of the protesters began to leave the scene.
One student barring the way of the helmeted officers was hit in the face with a police shield.
Others questioned whether protesters had gone “too far” as smoke from burning placards filled the air outside 30 Millbank.
The atmosphere remained extremely volatile at sunset as some demonstrators threw pieces of burning wood at a small group of riot squad officers guarding the entrance.
Students using scarves to cover their faces and at least one wearing a gas mask mingled with hundreds of onlookers, some sitting on sofas and chairs.
Andrew Speake, 23, a Chinese studies student from the University of Manchester, said: “It’s a necessary evil.
“When it comes to smashing windows and using these means, violence, or at least something bordering on violence, it is obviously not the best way.
“The best way is debate and argument but the style in the UK is we are used to people caving in quite easily to big changes.
“Education has gone from free to costing thousands of pounds without much protest and we need something similar to what we have seen in France.
“There is a civil society that’s going to fight these things. There is no popular demand for these fees and it needs to come from a wider voice other than from the student movement.”
Will McIntyre, 32, a student social worker form Ruskin College, Oxford, added the massive student fees were “unacceptable”.
He said: “This is us trying to have our say. I would not like to be associated with the violence.
“Peaceful protest is the way to go and people should consider the fact that there are students and lecturers here.”
Jessica Meredith, a third year fine art student at Goldsmiths University, said she was uncomfortable with the rioting.
She said: “I don’t know if the march has been a success but it shows how much we do care for free education.
“We intended to march all the way to Chelsea but were diverted here, there was no plan to come to Millbank.
“I hope this will get our message across but I don’t know if it has been taken too far.”
Richard Jones, 25, a student of psychosocial studies at Birkbeck College, said Millbank was only guarded initially by a “small line” of police.
He said: “This sort of thing is inevitable. It’s more of a spectacle than violence because there is no other means of expression.
“It’s going to happen a lot more in the upcoming months.
“People know that smashing widows will get in the papers. People are clearly doing it to draw attention to the cause.
“No one wants to hurt a policeman. It’s a shame though because I imagine it will not look good tomorrow.”
Media studies lecturer Stan Papoulias, from Middlesex University, said: “I’m here with lecturers from other universities in London.
“We’re here because we want to complain about the destruction of public education in this country.
“We are joining our voices with those of the students.”
The protesters were filmed from a police helicopter hovering overhead beaming live images, dubbed by officers as ’helitelly’, back to the Lambeth control room, less than a quarter of a mile away.
The basement command centre is used by senior public order officers to co-ordinate the police response to spontaneous disorder as well as large events such as the Notting Hill Carnival.
Members of the Met’s controversial forward intelligence teams, who wear distinctive blue flashes on their shoulders, were filming those at the centre of the violence.
It is almost certain police will attempt to identify those seen throwing bottles, rubbish and fire extinguishers at police officers as the crowd repeatedly surged forward.
At least one veteran member of the anarchist group Class War, which has been involved in a series of violent clashes with police, was seen at the protest.
Students posed for pictures alongside spray-painted graffiti saying, “Tory pigs” and “Tory scum” beside the smashed window of a media company.
There were also incongruous scenes in Millbank as diners continued to eat their meals at a branch of Pizza Express on the ground floor of the Millbank Tower, despite violent clashes outside.
At one point, an office worker was met with chants of “Tory scum” from hundreds of demonstrators after using his phone to take pictures of them from a nearby office.
When he waved his red tie at them and mouthed the word “Labour”, the jeering turned to loud cheers.
