University of Johannesburg (UJ) Professor Jane Duncan‚ has accused the security cluster of trying to destabilise the call for free quality education through the Fees Must Fall movement. Speaking at the Institute for Security Studies on Monday‚ Duncan said the State Security Agency's involvement in protests on campus had not solved the issue at hand‚ but instead has made life very difficult for students."In many of our campuses‚ police presence has escalated to a point where it become practically impossible to negotiate in good faith. The key issue here is that things should never have been allowed to get to this point. [Police] violence is dividing the students movement‚" said Duncan."Escalating policing is a key contributing factor to why protests have become radicalized which includes disruptions and even violence. Over policing has created a counter reaction on the part of many students where they have become increasingly socialised into violence and I think that has poisoned the environment."On our campuses‚ even meetings have become impossible and that amounts to an own-goal as students of these universities cannot debate all important practical issues‚" added Duncan.She said approaching the "problem"of violence in protests by increasing the number of law enforcement agencies was not the answer.The professor also criticized senior management at UJ‚ in particular vice chancellor Ihron Rensburg‚ for not reaching out to students to hear their concerns."The universities response to the protests have been inappropriately restrictive from the get-go and that has created a breakdown in trust."In contrast‚ if you walked around UJ campus in the first week that the protests happened‚ you'd see posters that were put up by the Fees Must Fall movement with a photograph of the vice chancellor reading 'Have you seen this man? He is missing in action' and I think that is very problematic for me‚" said Duncan.The State Security Agency was recently tasked with gathering intelligence on those involved in violent protests. - TMG Digital..