Abide by the law, E Cape cops warn protesters

POLICE in the Eastern Cape have warned university students protesting against tuition fee increases not to break the law.

Police across the Eastern Cape were deployed to various universities from early yesterday to “monitor disruptive actions and protests at Rhodes University in Grahamstown and Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University in Port Elizabeth,” said police spokeswoman Brigadier Marinda Mills.

“Police have been meeting with the university management and student repre- sentatives to avoid protests becoming unlawful and violent.”

She urged all protesting students to heed the law, to “protest peacefully and not to endanger the lives of people or damage property”, because if they did otherwise, they would be subject to law enforcement. Mills said there was a police presence on the outer perimeters of Rhodes University.

She said reports indicated that a group of students had gathered in Prince Alfred Street and had blocked Artillery Street at Rhodes.

Reports had also been received that “students have been going from residence to residence, pounding on doors, forcing students to take part in the protests”, she added.

The Eastern Cape Midlands Public FET College in Grahamstown seemed to be the only college participating in student protests, she said. Police were dispatched to the campus to monitor protest activities.

At Nelson Mandela University, about 150 students were burning tyres at the north and south gates, she said. – ANA