London, England (CNN) -- A group of demonstrators broke into the headquarters of Britain's governing Conservative party in London Wednesday, spray-painting anarchy symbols and setting off flares before being forced out of the building.
They went on to set fires outside the building.
The violence came during a largely peaceful protest by students against government plans to allow universities to increase tuition fees. The National Union of Students said 40,000 demonstrators were on the streets.
London's Metropolitan Police did not offer a crowd estimate or have any information about arrests.
Angry students kick out building windows
UK students storm Conservative HQ
Students protest tuition hike in London
Students and university staff are protesting against government plans to allow universities to charge up to 9,000 pounds (about $14,500) per year in tuition fees -- a substantial rise from the current cap.
"We are taking to the streets in unprecedented numbers to tell politicians that enough is enough," NUS president Aaron Porter said in a statement before the demonstration.
"We will not tolerate the previous generation passing on its debts to the next, nor will we pick up the bill to access a college and university education that was funded for them," he said.
The government wants to raise tuition fees and scrap some subsidies for university students as it tries to cut a massive budget deficit.
CNN's Antonia Mortensen and Joyce Joseph contributed to this report.
http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/europe/11/10/uk.protest/index.html
They went on to set fires outside the building.
The violence came during a largely peaceful protest by students against government plans to allow universities to increase tuition fees. The National Union of Students said 40,000 demonstrators were on the streets.
London's Metropolitan Police did not offer a crowd estimate or have any information about arrests.
Angry students kick out building windows
UK students storm Conservative HQ
Students protest tuition hike in London
Students and university staff are protesting against government plans to allow universities to charge up to 9,000 pounds (about $14,500) per year in tuition fees -- a substantial rise from the current cap.
"We are taking to the streets in unprecedented numbers to tell politicians that enough is enough," NUS president Aaron Porter said in a statement before the demonstration.
"We will not tolerate the previous generation passing on its debts to the next, nor will we pick up the bill to access a college and university education that was funded for them," he said.
The government wants to raise tuition fees and scrap some subsidies for university students as it tries to cut a massive budget deficit.
CNN's Antonia Mortensen and Joyce Joseph contributed to this report.
http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/europe/11/10/uk.protest/index.html
