Dispute against higher college tuition fees in London

On Wednesday November 9, more than tow thousands students turned out to protest in London against the privatization of Britain’s higher education system and against the cost of tuition. They were showing their anger against the plan of tripling the tuition fees. A massive police presence, some 4,000 officers blocked parts of the city with ten foot high barricades and staffing them with mounted police.

The protestors’ march began at the University College London about noon on Wednesday. The route of the march led the protestors to Trafalgar Square. Many complained that the police were using “intimidating tactics.” Two hours into the march, police told the protestors that seven areas of the city were off limits and that the protestors would be kept strictly within the route. Some protestors said that the increased police presence and warnings about consequences for unruliness made several people decide against attending the protest.

The police were there to make sure that the violence that happened last year did not occur again this year. There were members of the Occupy movement that were arrested when they refused to leave St. Paul’s Cathedral where they had set up tents. There were only a few incidents reported during the protestors’ march. The police presence immediately took control of those situations and blocked off additional areas that were becoming too violent.

This year, there were 24 arrests made, compared to 153 arrests made last year when more than 50,000 protestors came out to occupy the streets. The Conservative party headquarters were overtaken last year and the protestors threw bottles and other items at police. Police warned protestors that this year, they would be using plastic bullets to curb the protestors if their actions became “extreme.” Hundreds of letters were also mailed out to those who were arrested in the previous years with a warning not to attend this year’s protests or face charges. The protest was called the National Campaign against Fees and Cuts and there were an estimated 10,000 people in attendance. Police say there were only about 2,500 protestors. News helicopters over the march route reported that the number was in the middle of the two.

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