Students win praise from lecturers after rioting

Prof Malcolm Povey refused to condemn the violent actions of students who smashed windows and overran the building in Millbank during the demonstration against spending cuts and the rise in tuition fees saying "anger was necessary" to bring about change.

The comments from the president of the University and College Union's Leeds University branch followed lecturers from Goldsmith College who issued a statement congratulating "the magnificent anti-cuts demonstration."

It also emerged yesterday that a 26-year-old university lecturer, said to be a former Leeds University student, was among those who had "hijacked" the march to attack the Tory Party base.

Luke Cooper, a tutor in international relations at Sussex University told reporters that protesters had wanted to send a strong message to the Government.

Prime Minister David Cameron has called for "the full force of the law" to be used against those responsible and welcomed the announcement of a full inquiry into the protest by Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson. Downing Street condemned the statement from Goldsmith College lecturers as irresponsible.

Prof Povey said: "I do not condemn the actions of the students.

"Obviously it is crazy for a fire extinguisher to be thrown from the roof but the events were blown out of proportion. Two windows were smashed and people suffered minor injuries. Compare this with a lost generation of young people whose life chances are being hurt by the cuts."

Prof Povey said he believed the Government had targeted higher education for major funding cuts because it had been seen as a soft target. But he said it had now backfired as plans to slash university teaching budgets and more than double tuition fees had mobilised students into action.

Joseph Ford, 22, from Leeds University, has told how he was among students who got into the Millbank building. "It was pretty shocking. We moved forwards and there must have been about 20 police officers, which was completely insufficient.

"Yes, there were a few people who were inciting the window-smashing, but there was a crowd of 2,000 behind them cheering them on. I don't condone violence but getting inside the building was a necessary evil."