Violent protests erupt on UKZN campus

Monday 10 October 2016 - 2:15pm
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Heavily armed officers on the Westville campus of the University of KwaZulu-Natal.

DURBAN – Police and students engaged in running battles at the Westville campus of the University of KwaZulu-Natal on Monday morning.

READ: UKZN student residence set alight

The day began with a stand-off between students and university security, but erupted in violence when students started charging security after police withdrew.

The students, numbering well over a thousand, stormed a security vehicle at the quadrangle on campus and overturned it after security personnel abandoned it.

The police returned and a battle ensued in the university residences, just below the main campus.

 

 

 

Students threw rocks and other objects, including ironing boards, tables and chairs, while police responded with rubber bullets, stun grenades and teargas.

 

 

 

Fridges were dragged out to be used as shields, while fire extinguishers were also deployed by the students, a number of them masked their faces.

 

 

One police officer was injured when a bottle struck him on the arm and he was taken away by paramedics.

A fire was also started in the toilets of the students’ union building, while fire hoses were also opened by protesting students.

The eThekwini fire brigade was on standby throughout Monday morning.

Roads throughout the campus was littered with debris.

 

 

 

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