Police fire stun grenades at protesting Wits students
Students from the university blocked the institution’s main road and called on others to join their protest action.
Protesting students from Wits University made it to the Parktown Education campus.
Police officers who fired stun grenades and teargas at protesting students from Jan Smuts avenue, have been keeping a close eye on the protest. Despite this, defiant protesters continued shouting “fees must fall”.
The protesting students will later on today decide on whether to block off the busy M1 highway. Irate students are demanding the immediate release from police custody of some of the protesting students who were arrested and detained at the nearby Hillbrow police station.
Addressing a group of protesting students on Tuesday morning, secretary general of the Students Representative Council (SRC) Fasiha Hassan said they will make sure that no academic activity takes place at Wits until their demands are met. Students made a proposal that all the other classes that might continuing currently be disrupted.
Protests at various institutions of higher learning erupted minutes after Higher Education and Training Minister Blade Nzimande announced that it rest with universities to determine tuition fee increases.
Nzimande said the students who would benefit from a zero per cent fee increase are the poor and middle missing students, but students are not happy with some saying such a move would segregate students. Meanwhile police officers and private security officers are keeping a close eye on the protest action at Wits.
Earlier
Holding sticks, students have been calling on others to join the protest action. There is a huge police presence at the main entrance on Enoch Sontonga Road while a police chopper can be seen hovering above the institution.
Many universities have said they are yet to make decisions on whether or not there would be tuition increases for 2017.
While Nzimande said a 0% fee increase would only be for poor and ‘missing middle’ students, protesting students have made it clear they want free education for all.
On Tuesday morning, the protesters were seen near the main entrance.
The Northcliff Melville Times is also on the scene.
@NewsNMT @Wits students continue to fight for Free Education. #FeesMustFall2016 pic.twitter.com/SS7t8MvJ1z
— Gaahele M (@Treaka) September 20, 2016
@NewsNMT #FeesMustFall2016 @WitsSRC speak to police who seem ready to strike at any moment. Tensions high pic.twitter.com/Yzax0LvCmG
— Gaahele M (@Treaka) September 20, 2016
@NewsNMT Wits students congregate and once more pull students out of class despite a heavy police presence pic.twitter.com/lGDyjitH4r
— Gaahele M (@Treaka) September 20, 2016
@NewsNMT Police shooting back stun grenades been thrown students running everywhere pic.twitter.com/HLlLmNJ5h4
— Gaahele M (@Treaka) September 20, 2016
– Caxton News Service
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