South African University closes after students clash with police

Three campuses of the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) in South Africa have been closed down due to violent clashed between students and the police.

Submitted by working class … on August 17, 2012

The students have been protesting for over week over the slashing of funding for poorer students.

On Thursday the University attempted to gain a court order to prevent further protests from taking place.

They claimed that students were:

“Threatening to burn down buildings, followed by the management if their demands were not met”

A University spokesperson has said that:

“They want to stay free, eat free, and travel for free, and they want some change. They are holding the administration to ransom”.

Following a breakdown in negotiations, the students started boycotting classes, intimidating staff, barricading entrances, burning piles of tyres, stoning buildings, and throwing petrol bombs.

Students armed with stones and sticks locked the main campus gates, and bombarded the police with stones and petrol bombs. The police used water cannons and rubber bullets to regain control of the campus.

A student leader commented that:

“The management of TUT has been giving us the run-around. We tabled our grievances last semester and we were promised change. We have exhausted all avenues and will strike until management addresses our grievances”

Heavily armed police remain on campus.

Comments

Harrison

11 years 7 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Harrison on August 18, 2012

all sympathy to the students, and i hope they continue to defend themselves however they see fit

Baderneiro Miseravel

11 years 7 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Baderneiro Miseravel on August 19, 2012

Is there a source for this news?

I have translated this one but would like to find more comprehensive stuff on this, if it is part of a larger context of student contestation or of a general movement of south african working class.

(Link for translation to portuguese:
http://prod.midiaindependente.org/pt/blue/2012/08/511266.shtml)