11th November 2011 15:59
By Blue Tutors
This week thousands of students took to the streets of London to protest against the increase in tuition fees. The police estimated that 10,000 demonstrators would make an appearance, and arranged to put 4,000 police officers on the streets.
Far fewer than the expected numbers turned up, with approximately 5,000 demonstrators marching through central London carrying placards which read ‘No ifs, no buts, no education cuts’, and ‘Free Education’. Demonstrators interviewed cited heavy handed police responses to protesters and the sanctioning of rubber bullets as reasons many would-be demonstrators stayed away on the day.
Organisers commented that the enormous police presence was made more intimidating by the fact that officers were in full riot gear, and prepared to use kettling tactics and rubber bullets against protesters. The protest itself was said to be peaceful, with only a few arrests made for public order offences. Critics of the police response have argued that the met’s ‘total policing’ tactics criminalise what is a valid and legal protest, and frighten people with legitimate views away.