Students light candles and say a prayer for 11 arrested students

27 September 2016 - 18:50 By Jackie Clausen

University of KwaZulu-Natal students and staff bowed their heads as a theology student recited the universal prayer on Tuesday afternoon. The prayer‚ on the grounds of the Pietermaritzburg campus‚ was attended by about 200 staff and students and 20 different interfaith leaders under the watchful eye of police and security officials‚ who initially opposed the mass gathering by students. UKZN management has obtained an interdict preventing mass gatherings of students at any of its five campuses. A lecturer told police that she was the organiser and that the prayer session was allowed to continue. Carrying placards and singing songs‚ the students said they wanted to use the prayer meeting as a sign of their protest against the violence meted out against student by police and private security officials‚ and in support of the call for no fees for 2017.The participants lit 12 candles‚ 11 for each of the students who were arrested last week for public violence and malicious damage to property and a 12th for students who had been injured or suffered during violent protests on campus.The arrests came after violent clashes between students and police at the campus. The students who are in custody‚ are expected to appear in the Pietermaritzburg Magistrate's Court on Friday.- TMG Digital/The Times..

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