Rocks fly at University of Johannesburg

22 October 2015 - 16:47 By Mpho Raborife, Jeanette Chabalala and Ahmed Areff, News24
subscribe Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package.
Subscribe now

Rocks have been thrown outside the University of Johannesburg's Kingsway campus after protesting students turned back from a planned march to the ANC's Luthuli House headquarters on Wednesday.

The students had gathered at one of the UJ entrances and demanded that the gate be opened. They then hurled rocks and sticks at campus security, while trying to pull the gate down.

Earlier, the UJ students marched to Wits University to wait for their colleagues to join the action to Luthuli House, however the Wits students apparently did not want to march.

The UJ students then turned back.

Wits students then apparently changed their minds and said they wanted to march to Luthuli House.

On Wednesday afternoon, a nationwide protest by students against increased fees came to a head when protesters stormed the Parliament precinct while Finance Minister Nonhlanhla Nene was delivering his mid-term budget.

The protesters clashed with police, who eventually used stun grenades to force them back out.

Several protesters were also arrested, including the sons of UCT Vice-Chancellor Max Price and ANC stalwart Frank Chikane.

Twenty-nine protesters, most of them university students, were released on a warning on Thursday and their case postponed to February next year.

The protest action began last week Wednesday, with Wits University students protesting against a proposed 10.5% fee hike for 2016. Other institutions joined in this week.

Source: News24

subscribe Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package.
Subscribe now