The News Minute| November 20, 2014|
Demonstrations grew violent in Central London as students protested over rise in tuition fees and student debts. Missiles, flares and smoke bombs were thrown at policemen who tried to contain the situation. 11 arrests were made on charges of criminal damage, assault on police officers and violent disorder.
According to a Daily Mail report, a group of demonstrators broke away and tried to storm their way into the Conservative Party headquarters with a wheelie bin and were stopped by policemen.
One of the protestors even splashed paint on a Starbucks coffee shop and was arrested eventually by the police. Students had poured in from across UK and Ireland for this purpose.
Students chanted slogans such as "books not bombs" and held banners which read "free education, tax the rich" as they made their way to Parliament Square. Some were even found carrying Russell Brand’s book ‘Revolution’.
Mr Kiely a student at London Metropolitan University was quoted as, There are many ways we can fund free education. We could go after tax avoiders, scrap the £100 million wasted on Trident nuclear weapons, reduce military funding which is way above the average in Europe, and education pays for itself - the economic benefits from having a highly-skilled, highly-educated workforce in a competitive global economy."
“Our demands are clear - we want politicians to scrap tuition fees, or we are going to scrap you at the next general election,” he added. Additionally, students are planning walk outs and occupations of campus buildings, Reuters reported.
Large student #protests in #London against #TuitionInflation calling for #FreeEducation pic.twitter.com/sMCfVAinmZ
— Erin Marie Saltman (@ErinSaltman) November 19, 2014