What was billed as a peaceful student protest has again descended into chaos, with police being pelted with rocks and flares outside the Houses of Parliament.
The Government's controversial proposal to raise university tuition fees is currently being debated in the Commons, with the final vote expected within the next hour. With the nation facing almost unprecedented economic turmoil, I fully support the Government's proposals to allow top universities to charge top fees.
Outside on the streets of Westminster thousands of students are in running battles with the police, with several officers hospitalised as the crowd becomes increasingly aggressive. The television news channels are carrying live coverage of the skirmishes, with police struggling at times to maintain order. At one stage a mounted policeman was thrown from his startled horse, which then trampled on him as he lay winded on the ground.
In the past I have been critical of the Metropolitan Police Service on this blog, although I have to commend them for showing such restraint this evening with a barrage of missiles raining down on their lines.
The BBC's Ben Brown asked one protester why he thought it was necessary to set a car on fire. The reply came: "Well, it's quite cold out here".
The Government's controversial proposal to raise university tuition fees is currently being debated in the Commons, with the final vote expected within the next hour. With the nation facing almost unprecedented economic turmoil, I fully support the Government's proposals to allow top universities to charge top fees.
Outside on the streets of Westminster thousands of students are in running battles with the police, with several officers hospitalised as the crowd becomes increasingly aggressive. The television news channels are carrying live coverage of the skirmishes, with police struggling at times to maintain order. At one stage a mounted policeman was thrown from his startled horse, which then trampled on him as he lay winded on the ground.
In the past I have been critical of the Metropolitan Police Service on this blog, although I have to commend them for showing such restraint this evening with a barrage of missiles raining down on their lines.
The BBC's Ben Brown asked one protester why he thought it was necessary to set a car on fire. The reply came: "Well, it's quite cold out here".
2 comments:
I agree. Peaceful protests are one thing, but these are getting really nasty. I also dislike the way the media are presenting them as if they are a significant force as well - ten times as many people voted for the BNP as have been on any of these marches. It is a classic example of the silent majority.
Thanks for your comment Contented Lib Dem. The media are always going to focus on the hotspots of disorder - peaceful placcard waving doesn't attract quite the same ratings!
Post a Comment