British students protest again against fee hikes

Updated on: Wednesday, December 01, 2010

British students held protests for the third day over plans to triple university tuition fees, with police urging them to avoid the violence that marked earlier demonstrations.

School and university students braved snow in London for a rally in Trafalgar Square against the decision to increase university fees to 9,000 pounds (USD 14,000) a year as part of government deficit-cutting measures.

Rows of police officers lined up near the Houses of Parliament, blocking a group of several hundred demonstrators who tried to approach.

The crowd appeared smaller than at two protests earlier this month, as the first snow of the year fell on London.

Rallies and sit-ins were scheduled in university towns across the country.

Previous protests drew thousands, and saw groups of students storm the building housing Conservative Party headquarters and attack a police van.

Students have accused the police of a heavy-handed response to isolated violence, after officers corralled protesters for several hours in the cold last week, a controversial practice known as "kettling."

British students protest again against fee hikes

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