No repeat of violence as police swamp fees demo

Protesters accused Scotland Yard of “ludicrous” tactics as officers appeared to outnumber them in central London.

The strategy seems to have worked with only 24 arrests for minor incidents as numbers dwindled yesterday evening.

Less than a third of the 10,000 expected demonstrators were estimated to have turned up after force chiefs announced 4,000 officers had been made available.

Protesters were there to oppose to the impending university tuition increase which will see fees soar to £9,000 next year. The event led to fears of a repeat of the violence which saw widespread chaos on the streets of London during protests last year culminating in an attack on a car carrying Prince Charles and Camilla.

Small skirmishes broke out yesterday as officers made several arrests moving a group who set up camps in Trafalgar Square by pitching pop-up tents. There were also violent exchanges as anarchists threw items at police lines.

However many demonstrators were thought to have stayed away after chiefs warned that rubber bullets were available after the major disturbances in November and December last year.

Demonstrator Beth Atkinson, 27, from London, said: “It is ludicrous. It is antagonistic, it is like they are egging on a fight, which is frankly embarrassing.”

Oxford graduate Ariadne Mitchell-Kotsakis, 24, also hit out at the “overwhelming” police presence.

Ms Mitchell-Kotsakis, who said she decided to join the march in “solidarity” with students after her brother was jailed for violent disorder following the last fees protest, added: “I think it’s too much.

“I think the march is a lot smaller than they were expecting and having this number of officers is quite overwhelming. I’m here because my brother Zenon was sentenced to 15 months at Kingston Crown Court. I’m here for solidarity and to be part of it.”

A-level pupil Luci Cunningham, 17, from Enfield, north London, added: “There were police at every corner – we’re not animals. I think they went a bit over the top, to be honest.” Protesters led by the National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts carried placards reading “Scrap Tuition Fees” and “Free Education”.

There were chants of “No ifs, no buts, no education cuts” and abusive songs directed at the Prime Minister David Cameron while demonstrators slowly made their way through the streets. There were only small clashes along the route.

Police intervened after anti-capitalist “Occupy” activists put up 20 tents at the foot of Nelson’s Column. But the group said they were planning to stay for as “long as possible” and chanted “Whose square? Our square”. A minor scuffle also broke out as marchers walked slowly down Fetter Lane.

The beefed-up police presence came amid fears of a repeat of scenes last year when hundreds were arrested as trouble-makers hijacked peaceful protests. As part of their efforts to keep the peace, officers handed out leaflets and warned demonstrators they risked arrest if they did not stay on the agreed route.

Marchers were also only allowed to remain at the rally point at London Wall for two hours. An officer walking alongside the march said it was estimated that there were around 2,500 protesters.

Jenny Jones, a Green Party member at the London Assembly said: “Policing isn’t an exact science and it is often impossible to assess what levels can be expected at a demonstration such as this.

“However, by issuing a statement that threatens the use of rubber bullets, the police have not only directly discouraged protesters from attending, but also potentially changed the nature of the event itself.”

Unrest Hits city building firms

CONSTRUCTION workers staged a noisy demonstration in London in an escalating row over pay and skills in the industry which could spark a strike in one of the country’s leading building firms.

Around 1,500 electricians, plumbers and engineers from across the country joined a rally at the site of construction work at Blackfriars Underground station. There were some minor skirmishes with police and hundreds of the demonstrators were later kettled when they tried to join the student protest.

Unions claim that “de-skilling” and pay cuts are being imposed by a group of construction firms. Unite announced that members at Balfour Beatty will be balloted for strikes next week.