Above Photo: From PopularResistance.org.
The police have made a number of arrests for public order offences after a series of clashes in central London
A student protest over tuition fees descended into violence on Wednesday just hours after the shadow chancellor told demonstrators that they had been “betrayed” by the government.
John McDonnell addressed thousands of students in central London who were calling for the end of tuition fees and the return of maintenance grants.
Jeremy Corbyn, the Labour leader, did not join the protests but had a message read out to demonstrators urging students to “keep campaigning for justice”.
Protesters try to break police lines at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills during a demonstration against education cuts on November 4, 2015 in London, England. University students from across the country are marching on the streets of London to protest against cuts to free education.
Just hours later the protesters clad in black with scarves over their faces let off flares, threw paint over government buildings and forced their way through police lines.
The Metropolitan Police arrested 12 of the the demonstrators after they threw smoke bombs and eggs at officers outside the Department for Business.
Speaking to the protesters before the march, John McDonnell told the students education was “a basic human right”.
John McDonnell addressing student protest: “this will be a peaceful demonstration and stay safe” pic.twitter.com/6g6ACMbUdF
— Laura Hughes (@Laura_K_Hughes) November 4, 2015
He said: “Your generation has been betrayed by this Government in increases to tuition fees, in scrapping the education maintenance allowance and cuts in education. “Education is a gift from one generation to another, it is not a commodity to be bought and sold. “For generations now, one generation has handed the baton to the next. They have tried to ensure that the next generation has a better quality of life than the last. “This Government is betraying you and future generations. You need to oppose it and I’m here in solidarity with that opposition.” 
Protesters are wrestled to the ground by police as tensions flare at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills during a demonstration against education cuts on November 4, 2015 in London, England A small group of protesters threw paint outside the Home Office and another group attempted to push their way into the Department for Business building, but were prevented by police. Scotland Yard said officers were attacked with smoke bombs and eggs, before arrests were made for public order offences. A spokesperson said: “A cordon was put in place across Victoria Street at the junction with Dacre Street, SW1 to prevent disorder. There was no containment in place.” Hundreds of protesters were filmed bursting through police lines after a smoke bomb was thrown at the police. A number of protesters dressed in black and with scarves covering their faces to stop them from being identified by police. Dozens of extra police officers in riot gear were drafted in to protect Parliament amid fears that protesters would break in.
As it happened
18:53pm
Police say they have made 12 arrests for public order offences at the protest.
18:42pm
Scenes from the protest.
17:24pm
Commuters are reporting being trapped in offices due to the student protests.
Student protest blocks people leaving their offices to go home.. I was trapped in the environment agency offices! Were the balaclava needed? — Dale Heenan (@dale_heenan) November 4, 2015
17:09pm
At the start of the protest John McDonnell had urged for peaceful demonstrations.
John McDonnell addressing student protest: “this will be a peaceful demonstration and stay safe” pic.twitter.com/6g6ACMbUdF
— Laura Hughes (@Laura_K_Hughes) November 4, 2015
17:07pm
Police are protecting all the war memorials down Whitehall pic.twitter.com/uDP0l9nI9B — Laura Hughes (@Laura_K_Hughes) November 4, 2015
17:05pm
Video footage captures clashes between students and police.
Student university fees protest: demonstrators clash with police in London
16:48pm
Scotland Yard said officers have been pelted with smoke bombs and eggs and arrests have been made.
A spokesperson said: “A small group of protestors threw paint outside the Home Office and another group attempted to push their way into the Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) building but were prevented by police.
“During this spell, a small number of smoke bombs and eggs were thrown at police outside BIS.
“A cordon was put in place across Victoria Street at the junction with Dacre Street, SW1 to prevent disorder. There was no containment in place.
“Officers have made a number of arrests for public order offences.”
Police clash with students in central London Photo: Dominic Lipinski/PA
16:47pm
Students say the police have not been in control of the protest.
“Because there were so many of us they tried to kettle us, that broke up, then the police started started chasing. The police were not in control – the majority of protesters weren’t doing anything wrong,” said Jessica Glass, 21, a sociology student at Warwick University.
16:46pm
Some protesters using Anarchist-inspired ‘black bloc’ techniques to evade identification by police raided the prospect of a repeat of the violent protests that rocked the capital in 2010 over the issue of student fees.
A ring of steel fences were erected around the Palace, forcing tourists and local workers off the pavement and into the busy roads.
Photo: Getty Images
“It’s like they haven’t thought it through at all,” said one bystander.
The Home Office was also surrounded by police amid fears that protesters might seek to attack the department’s Marsham Street HQ.
16:43pm
Police have been locked in a game of cat and mouse with student protesters who have managed to outmanoeuvre officers and blockade New Scotland Yard.
Parliament was also in security lock down amid fears that student protesters would attempt to storm the Palace of Westminster.
Senior officers on the ground have been forced to admit that they do not know where the protesters were at several points during the demonstration.
One Inspector guarding the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills in Whitehall told the Telegraph: “We really don’t know where they are.”
Dozens of additional police officers clad in riot gear were drafted in to protect the Commons and the Lords from thousands of students protesting higher education fees.
Photo: Chris Radcliffe/Getty Images
16:41pm
Reports of protestors and police in Stratford.
I found the rest of them. Rowdy bunch #StudentMarch #studentprotest pic.twitter.com/adgVEsz3KF
— BexH (@BexHealy) November 4, 2015
4:35pm
Commuters are complaining about the hold-ups being caused by the protest, some are not sympathetic.
Thanks for the tweets, the hold up is a student fees protest. I started working at 17, you can imagine how much sympathy I have re uni fees. — Kirstie Mary Allsopp (@KirstieMAllsopp) November 4, 2015
Tertiary education is a luxury, many degrees benefit no-one but the student. It’s a privilege not a right to stay in education post A-levels
— Kirstie Mary Allsopp (@KirstieMAllsopp) November 4, 2015
4.34pm
A further day of action has been called on November 17, focused on the treatment of international students, migrants and refugees. Students’ unions have also started the process of calling a national ballot for strike action against cuts to maintenance grants and student support. Any strike action would take place in early February, with warnings of blockades and occupations.
4.31pm
A spokesman for the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills said: “This Government is committed to ensuring everyone with the potential to benefit from higher education has the opportunity to do so, regardless of their background. “It has always been the case that student support provided by government is a contribution to living costs and institutions themselves offer a range of bursaries, scholarships and grants. “Our system means that lack of finance should not be a barrier to participation and more funding is available to support living costs than ever before.”
Protesters now running through streets with traffic, police running alongside #GrantsNotDebt pic.twitter.com/p6VsVAk3hF — Tom Platt (@Platt) November 4, 2015
4.29pm
A small group of protesters threw paint outside the Home Office and another group attempted to push their way into the Department for Business building, but were prevented by police.
The Metropolitan police have released a statement, stating: “During this spell, a small number of smoke bombs and eggs were thrown at police outside BIS.
“A cordon was put in place across Victoria Street at the junction with Dacre Street, SW1 to prevent disorder.There was no containment in place.”
A police officer is hit by a smoke flare thrown by protesters outside the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills Photo: Justin Tallis/AFP
4.25pm
Speaking to the protesters before the march, John McDonnell, the shadow chancellor, said education was “a basic human right”.
He said: “Your generation has been betrayed by this Government in increases to tuition fees, in scrapping the education maintenance allowance and cuts in education.
“Education is a gift from one generation to another, it is not a commodity to be bought and sold.”
British police scuffle with a masked contingent of the annual demonstration against student fees outside the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills in central London Photo: Justin Tallis/AFP
4.23pm
Violence has broken out between police and student protesters after a series of clashes in central London.
The police have said Officers have made a number of arrests for “public order offences.”
Footage has emerged of hundreds of protesters bursting through police lines and running down Victoria Street, cheering and waving flags.
Dozens of police officers gave chase down the road as the marchers darted through London on the demonstration, which is calling for the end of fees, the return of maintenance grants and an end to student debt.
Shouts ‘you’re breaking his arm, you’re breaking his arm’ as police detain one man #GrantsNotDebt pic.twitter.com/mpcywSR7DG
— Tom Platt (@Platt) November 4, 2015
4.20pm
Welcome to our live blog of the student protests taking place on Wednesday over tuition fees.
Thousands of students from across the country have gathered in London to call for the end of fees, the return of maintenance grants and an end to student debt.
Hundreds of students have broken through some police cordons and arrests have been made.