The biggest demonstration against the British government to-date turned violent this afternoon after students broke into Conservative headquarters in Millbank Tower, central London.
Police officers and students were injured after clashes during the march in central London, leaving Scotland Yard to defend its policing of the demonstration which it tonight admitted was unexpected.
Union leaders, who organised today’s march, condemned the violence, which they blamed on a minority of protesters who had “hijacked” the event.
Met Police Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson said: “It’s not acceptable. It’s an embarrassment for London and for us.”
He added: “I am determined to have a thorough investigation into this matter. We didn’t expect this level of violence.”
National Union of Students president Aaron Porter said a small minority of protesters had “hijacked” the march, describing the violence as “despicable”.
He said the violence was not part of the organisers’ plans, blaming the trouble on a “small minority” he believed had arranged it beforehand.
“We talked about the need to prevent anything like this and how important it was to act in a responsible way. Unfortunately a minority have undermined us,” he added.
Riot police were tonight attempting to drive a crowd away from Millbank Tower, next to the River Thames in central London, which houses the Conservative Party headquarters and was the centre of the trouble.
A number of arrests were made as police clashed with a group of trouble-makers, some wearing scarves on their faces to hide their identity. One man was seen smashing a window in the building with a hammer while another brandished a piece of metal as he tried to break into the building.
Ten people were taken to hospital, including three police officers, all thought to be suffering minor injuries. Another person was being treated at the scene.
Earlier, protesters stormed the building, an hour after the rally, attended by more than 50,000 students, lecturers and other supporters, had started.
Around 50 people got onto a roof, dropping a large metal fire extinguisher onto riot police. Water fire extinguishers were also let off from the roof and eggs were thrown.
On the ground, sticks and other missiles were thrown at police from a crowd of at least 1,000 spilling out onto the normally busy road alongside the building.
There were scuffles at the front of the crowd, with protesters throwing missiles and hitting officers with sticks.
Placards and banners were being burnt, to cheers from the crowd, while protesters inside the building used chairs as they smashed and kicked their way through more of the glass frontage, effectively opening up the whole atrium to the crowd.
One policewoman with a bloody wound to her head was led away from the side of the building by two colleagues. A stick was thrown at her as she went.
A red flare was let off as the atmosphere within the crowd became increasingly volatile. The crowd responded to the heavy police presence with loud booing, screaming and chanting.
Demonstrators who had got inside the building’s atrium tried to pull down the few remaining huge sheets of glass, while others hurled pillows to chants of “Tory scum”.
The demonstration, one of the biggest seen on London’s streets for many years, and the largest student protest since 1997, had started peacefully, with a march from Whitehall past Downing Street and Parliament.
But around an hour later, violence flared at Millbank Tower, close to the Tate Britain art gallery where the march was due to end with a rally.
Hundreds of workers were evacuated from the building, which also houses other organisations including Government agencies, as protesters began smashing windows and fires were lit.
A Tory party spokesman said: “Everyone has the right to protest but they also have a responsibility to do so in the appropriate way. We thoroughly condemn the use of violence.”
And Mayor of London Boris Johnson said: “I am appalled that a small minority have today shamefully abused their right to protest.
“This is intolerable and all those involved will be pursued and they will face the full force of the law.”
Sally Hunt, general secretary of the University and College Union, which helped organise the protest, said: “The actions of a minority should not distract from today’s message. The overwhelming majority of staff and students on the march came here to send a clear and peaceful message to the politicians. The actions of a minority, out of 50,000 people, is regrettable.”
The protesters in the Tory HQ building and on the roof released a statement which said: “We oppose all cuts and we stand in solidarity with public sector workers, and all poor, disabled, elderly and working people.
“We are occupying the roof in opposition to the marketisation of education pushed through by the coalition government, and the system they are pushing through of helping the rich and attacking the poor.
“We call for direct action to oppose these cuts. This is only the beginning of the resistance to the destruction of our education system and public services.”
Students and staff were protesting against Government plans to charge students up to Stg £9,000 per year from 2012 — triple the current £3,290 fee.
Union leaders say the increase, along with swingeing cuts to university budgets, will mean the end of affordable higher education.
PA