British students protest against police brutality

Thousands of British university students have poured into the streets of central London to protest against police brutality and the force’s heavy presence on university campuses.

Up to 4,000 students and university staff took part in the mass demonstration, dubbed “Cops off Campus,” outside the University of London Union (ULU) on Wednesday.

The protesters were carrying banners reading, “No to police brutality,” “Cops off campus,” “Not police state” and “explain your abuse.”

Some demonstrators reportedly burned a bin and broke through the gate of Senate House Library.

The day of action, spearheaded by a student movement called the National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts (NCAFC), was a response to the British police crackdown on similar protests last week.

“Last Wednesday, protesting students were met with disproportionate police brutality. People were arrested, they were kettled, and they weren’t fed for 11 hours… we’ve got to stand up for ourselves and others who face attacks. We can’t let this continue to happen,” said Hannah Webb, with the NCAFC.

The rally was held a week after the University of London was granted an injunction banning its students from staging “occupational protests” on its campus for six months.

The High Court ruling came after students held a sit-in protest outside the ULU building on December 4 and 5.

They voiced their anger against the privatization of university jobs and facilities, low pays and poor working conditions for the university’s outsourced staff.

According to media reports, some 41 students were arrested after violent clashes between British police and over 200 students in the British capital.