THIRD WAVE REVOLT - British Students Protest as Tuition Hike Is Debated

Police clashed with protesters during a demonstration against plans to raise tuition fees for university students, in London on Thursday.

LONDON (AP) — Police with riot shields and batons pushed angry student protesters away from London's Parliament Square on Thursday as lawmakers debated a controversial plan to triple university tuition fees in England.

Thousands of students held demonstrations and sit-ins throughout the country, heaping pressure on the government to reverse course.

Throwing flares, billiards balls and paint bombs, small groups of protesters tore down barricades as police attempted to reinforce a security cordon near Parliament. Two police officers were injured_one seriously_in the fracas and two protesters were arrested for assaulting officers, police said.

The scuffles broke out after students marched through central London and converged on the square, waving placards and chanting "education is not for sale," capping weeks of nationwide protests to pressure lawmakers to reverse course.

The tuition vote poses a crucial test for both the Conservative's governing coalition with the Liberal Democrats and the government's austerity plans to reduce Britain's budget deficit.

Students have said the concessions are not enough to lessen the blow of higher fees. They say that under the proposal, piles of debt will plague graduates and make a well-rounded education unattainable for many.

Continue reading - NY Times - British Students Protest as Tuition Hike Is Debated

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