Student protesters lay siege to police station
PROTESTING UCT students spent most of the day at Rondebosch police station yesterday, after 23 fellow students were arrested for participating in the fee hike protest despite a Western Cape High Court order prohibiting them from doing so.
On Monday night, students forced their way in to the university’s Bremner Building and the protest continued yesterday morning with students again barricading the entrances to the campus and burning tyres.
Police reacted by arresting some of the students with women students complaining that they were manhandled.
Students mobilised others at the institution and went door to door to every building at the university to drum up support.
University workers also joined the protest, fighting against outsourcing.
The march then proceeded to the Main Road going from one student residence to another.
The students who were adamant to voice their concerns were well prepared for the scorching heat, giving each other cold water and oranges.
DA leader Mmusi Maimane did not receive a warm welcome when he addressed the students as he was booed and asked to leave.
Maimane said: “This is not a fight between students, but against a government that is not addressing exorbitant fee increases and the chronic underfunding of higher education institutions and NSFAS.
“We cannot allow privilege to be perpetuated at universities by a government that is denying poor students an opportunity to improve their lives through education.
“This is a basic requirement for accessing an increasingly competitive job market.”
The protest went to Rondebosch police station where the numbers had increased to thousands.
Police locked the protesters out, not allowing them entry.
The protesters later asked for white students to form a human shield around the fence of the police station, saying “they won’t shoot at white stu-
We cannot allow privilege to be perpetuated
dents”.
Frustration grew as their fellow students were not released and they asked the police to arrest all of them.
UCT spokeswoman Pat Lucas said the university’s Upper, Lower and Middle campuses were closed for a second day because protesters barricaded entrance roads and the situation presented a safety and security risk.
Acting vice-chancellor Professor Francis Petersen said: “The executive is continuing to attempt to create a dialogue with protesters.”