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Protest
in Britain over tution fee hike turns violent
Wednesday November 10, 2010 09:19:36 PM,
IANS
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London:
Protests in Britain over the government's plan to raise tution
fees in universities turned violent Wednesday as demonstrators
marched towards parliament, damaging buildings and clashing with
security personnel.
A group barged into the lobby of Millbank Tower near the
headquarters of Prime Minister David Cameron's Tory party before
being forced out by police, The Daily Telegraph reported.
Windows in the office block were smashed and a number of smoke
bombs thrown. Dozens of police surrounding the entrance were
pelted with water bottles and jostled by the protesters.
Up to 50,000 people, many waving placards, are marching though the
streets of London in the biggest show of opposition to the
coalition government of the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats.
Students from across the country travelled to London in coaches,
to join lecturers, pensioners and medical trainees in voicing
their opposition to the rise.
Aaron Porter, president of the National Union of Students (NUS),
warned the Liberal Democrats they would lose the support of a
generation of young people if they continued to back the tuition
fee hike.
"MPs must now think twice before going ahead with this outrageous
policy," he said.
Under the government's proposals, which represent the most radical
shake-up of student funding for decades, the fee cap will be
raised to 6,000 pounds, with universities able to charge up to
9,000 pounds - triple the current cap - in "exceptional
circumstances".
David Cameron, who is in China on a two-day trade mission, said
Wednesday that the rise in fees for British undergraduates would
help "control" growth in costs for foreigners attending British
universities.
The proposed changes to university funding are politically
explosive as many Liberal Democrat MPs, including Deputy Prime
Minister Nick Clegg, pledged during the general election campaign
not to allow fees to go up.
Clegg came under attack for his U-turn over increasing tuition
fees as he stood in for David Cameron Wednesday at Prime
Minister's Questions in the parliament.
Clegg said: "This is an extraordinarily difficult issue and I have
been entirely open about the fact that we have not been able to
deliver the policy that we held in opposition. Because of the
financial situation, because of the compromises of the coalition
government we have had to put forward a different policy."
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