The United Kingdom's ruling Conservative Party's London Headquarter was stormed! Students and lecturers from across the England, Wales and Scotland travelled all the way to Whitehall, London. They were all involved in criminal damages and aggravated trespass. About 2,000 split from the main march to gather outside 30 Millbank, the Conservative headquarters in Westminster, where windows were smashed, fires lit and missiles thrown at police.
The police arrested about 50 protesters for the above offences, but was released on police bail till February 2011.
Although the protest was supposed to be a peacefulone, but it was overshadowed by violence on 10th November 2010 against the plan to lift the cap on university tuition fees to £9,000 for the home students.
Meanwhile, the police has began an inquiry behind the handling of this demonstration alongside the Scotland Yard. The police are examining the CCTV footages of the incident.
The Policing minister Nick Herbert said police had "struck the wrong balance" when preparing for the protests.
225 officers were originally deployd to police the march, although a further 225 were called in as the situation developed. The Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson said, that the police should have been better prepared to tackle the demonstration, and termed the event "an embarrasment".
The lecturers who were also involved in the march wrote: "We the undersigned wish to congratulate staff and students on the magnificent anti-cuts demonstration this afternoon."
Lecturers at Goldsmiths College said: "The real violence in this situation relates not to a smashed window but to the destructive impact of the cuts."
But the Downing Street said: "Praising violence over peaceful protest is frankly irresponsible."
On the other hand, Mr Cameron, the UK prime Minister has said he would not abandon his plan to reform tuition fees to allow some institutions to charge up to £9,000 a year.
National Union for Students president Aaron Porter said he believed members had "lost a lot of public sympathy" because of what happened.
Source:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-11740282
