Tuition fees protest violence 'unacceptable', says PM

From BBC News.com - The prime minister said the clashes in central London, which led to 50 arrests and 14 injuries, were "unacceptable". He praised the "brave" officers who tried to control the crowds, but said "there weren't enough of them". Met chief Sir Paul Stephenson called Wednesday's events "an embarrassment". Seven police officers were among those hurt during the protests outside Conservative Party headquarters at Millbank, Westminster, on Wednesday.
Windows were smashed, fires lit and missiles thrown at police after a group of protesters broke away from the main demonstration against a planned rise in university fees. Some broke into the building itself, although hundreds of workers, including Tory Party staff, had already been evacuated.'Thin blue line' Ahead of a statement in the Commons on the violence Tory MPs Nadine Dorries and Peter Bottomley warned that people could have died. Ms Dorries accused NUS student officials of "egging on" the crowd while Mr Bottomley likened the scenes to the Heysel stadium disaster. Mr Cameron said he had watched events unfold from Seoul, where he was attending a G20 summit, and had been concerned. "I was worried for the safety of people in the building because I know people who work in there, not just the Conservative Party, but other offices as well, and so I was on the telephone." I put it to the PM that we could be seeing a re-run of the Thatcher years. He denied that, claiming that the fact that this government is a coalition ensures that this is not a case of back to the future”End Quote Nick Robinson BBC's political editor Sir Paul apologised to those left inside the building for their "traumatic experience" and said the Met should have been better prepared. Scotland Yard said all 50 of those arrested had now been released on bail until February while police continued inquiries and looked at CCTV evidence. The majority were being held for criminal damage and aggravated trespass. The National Union of Students (NUS) said about 50,000 people joined the demonstration, but according to Scotland Yard, only 225 officers were initially drafted in to police it because no trouble was anticipated. "It's not acceptable. It's an embarrassment for London and for us," Sir Paul said. "I think we've also got to ask ourselves some questions. This level of violence was largely unexpected and what lessons can we learn for the future." Mr Cameron said the situation had been "extremely serious" and welcomed the decision to hold an inquiry. Read more

Tuition fees protest violence 'unacceptable', says PM