London's Student Protest Turns Violent

Chaos erupted in London today during a student demonstration over an increase in university tuition fees, the Guardian reports. Though most of the 52,000 protesters conducted themselves peacefully, a small group threw rocks at police and forcibly entered the headquarters of the Tory Party. Once inside, they made their way to the roof and threw fire extinguishers and other objects from the roof. Fourteen people—some police, some protesters—were hospitalized, and 35 protesters arrested.

Tories seethed that city authorities had underestimated the potential for violence and "put heavy security around Lib Dem HQ but completely forgot about our party HQ," as one source put it. The British government is both raising tuition fees and cutting funds for state universities as part of a new austerity program to control the public deficit. Both government officials and protesters say the day's events are just the beginning of public anger.
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