50,000 students & academics march on Conservative HQ in London, occupy building

[Hannah Bell]

A march of more than 50,000 students and academics in London yesterday against the Conservative-Liberal Democratic coalition government’s education cuts ended in the occupation of the Tory Party’s headquarters and confrontations with riot police.



The march’s size massively exceeded expectations of the National Union of Students (NUS) and the University and College Union (UCU), who jointly called it, assembling students from almost every university and college in Britain. It was dominated by home-made banners denouncing the government. City workers and tourists clapped their hands in support.

The Conservative’s Millbank headquarters near to the Houses of Parliament was broken into and occupied. A group barged into the lobby of Millbank before being forced out by police and security officers. They then began setting fire to placards outside the entrance. Windows in the office block were smashed and a number of smoke bombs thrown. More students then invaded the building, while hundreds more outside cheered them on and chanted “Tory scum”.

Riot police were ordered in to the Millbank Tower to end the occupation, but initially scattered in disarray down side streets, prompting the Metropolitan Police commissioner to admit it was an “embarrassment” for his force. The Metropolitan Police say that 32 arrests were made and there are numerous reports of police violence, with film footage on social networking sites of students being hit indiscriminately with batons and riot shields.

[phasma ex machina]

1. This may soon happen in America. nt

[somone]

2. The French should teach them how to make guillotines