Student Demonstration London

At least 10 people needed hospital treatment and 32 had been arrested today during a demonstration against higher tuition fees by tens of thousands of students and lecturers in London.

Police were taken by surprise by the violence of the clashes and admitted it was unexpected.  Union Leaders who had organised the march were also angered by the violence which they blamed on a minority who they said were out to "hijack" the event
Union leaders, who organised the march, condemned the violence describing it as "despicable". They blamed a minority of protesters who they said had "hijacked" the event.  With the 2012 London Olympics looming, the city is under worldwide scrutiny and 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 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 are 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.

Student union groups are livid at government plans to raise the cap on tuition fees to £9,000 a year, despite proposals in the Browne review to only make students pay back the money once they earn over £21,000. The Liberal Democrats are the prime target of protests, having signed a pledge before the election promising to oppose any rise in the fees.

Nick Clegg, Sarah Teather and Stephen Williams are particularly vulnerable given their reliance on a student vote in their constituency.