LONDON
Thousands of students have marched in London to demand free education and the abolishment of tuition fees.
University students from across the country came to the demonstration and marched through the U.K. capital on Wednesday in the largest student demonstration since 2010.
Demonstrators chanted: “No ifs, no buts, say no to education cuts", "They say cut back, we say fight back" and “Tory Scum”.
Malia Bouattia from the Black Students campaign and National executive of the National Union of Students (NUS) told The Anadolu Agency: “The active mobilizing for a protest is symbolically important … it shows the powers that be that we will take to the streets even though we have nothing left, that we will speak out against any injustice and inequality."
Successive U.K. governments have claimed that the state "cannot afford to pay" for university tuition fees.
However, Bouattia said: "Just look at our European neighbors and, also, how about the government stops funding imperialist habits across the world? How about stop pumping money into spying on Muslims in the U.K. and fund education instead?"
Promise broken
Some protestors managed to remove barricades around Parliament Square opposite the Houses of Parliament and occupied the area.
Another group of protesters diverged from the planned route and protested around the city, including outside the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills.
Sai Englert, one of the NUS' national executive members, said: "We’re demonstrating for free education, but I think there are much wider things to be thinking about in terms of funding to education, access to education, inclusivity of education and what we think education is for within society.”
University fees were raised from £3,000 to £9,000 in England and Wales in 2010.
The Liberal Democrats had signed a pledge not to raise the cap on tuition fees, but came under criticism when, after joining the coalition government, they rescinded on their promise.
'A different time'
There are no tuition fees in Scotland.
New Labour, under the then-Prime Minister Tony Blair, introduced tuition fees in 1998, beginning at £1,000 a year.
Labour increased the amount to £3,000 in 2004 during its second term in office.
During the New Labour government there were limited calls from within the NUS leadership for free education, at a time the leadership of the union was dominated by Labour students.
“Last time we didn’t get far off, there were 20-30 votes over raising the cap. The difference then was that students were the only ones fighting. I think now many more people are taking on this government ... it’s a different time,” said Englert.
'Real shame'
The leadership of the NUS officially pulled out of the demonstration at the last minute amid “safety concerns”, but many of its members joined the march.
Toni Pearce, president of the NUS, said earlier in a statement: “We have commissioned and paid for the best risk assessment possible based on incomplete information that we were given by organisers, and it is clear that there are inadequate measures in place to mitigate against significant risks in line with our advice posing an unacceptable level of risk.”
Englert said the pull-out decision was a “real shame”, adding the leadership had “missed the point”.
Police officials said in a statement: "Various missiles were thrown at the officers and protestors pulled down protective fencing around the grass area in Parliament Square. A large group of protestors walked onto and have occupied the grass area. The officers withdrew from the area. Three officers suffered minor injuries."
Several people were reported to have been arrested.
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