STUDENTS and police have clashed at a protest march.
Around 200 students took part in a demonstration over the standard of facilities and tuition at Manchester University.
Groups of protesters managed to break police lines and there were angry exchanges as officers tried to force them back.
Nobody was injured but traffic was brought to a standstill as the group marched down Oxford Road.
Many bore placards criticising the university for paying vast sums to `celebrity lecturers' such as writer Martin Amis after 750 jobs were slashed.
University bosses say last year's student satisfaction survey revealed that most were content.
But one marcher, Gabriel Hassan, said: "You can come on campus and ask any student how they feel and every one of them will have a complaint or issue.
"There's not a week goes by without three or four issues being raised in the student news- paper."
Students claim they receive less time with staff than 20 years ago, library facilities are so stretched that popular books are often unavailable, and the campus is over-crowded.
A police spokesman said extra officers had to be drafted in to manage the protest, which caused `some disruption' to traffic.
He added: "Although GMP was given prior warning of this protest, officers were not given accurate information about the intended route which meant extra officers had to be deployed to safely manage the protest."
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Students clash with police
April 23, 2008
Student demo on Oxford Road
Showing comments 1 to 15 and replies | View All
Proud Mancunian (23/04/2008 at 12:33)
Shame
mylifeinthemafia (23/04/2008 at 12:35)
The Rt Hon Dr Rev MC Spanner MP QC FCA FRICS JP OK (23/04/2008 at 12:37)
Reaaly - Students complaining - That's a new phenom
"Students claim they receive less time with staff than 20 years ago, library facilities are so stretched that popular books are often unavailable, and the campus is over-crowded"
20 years ago, we had bugger all time with staff, the library had the same issues and the campus was cramped.
Nowt changes except now you have to pay for the privilege. Another tax for Gordon Brown that never made it to the manifesto or Scotland
Ash (23/04/2008 at 13:51)
Let me get this straight. You believe people who use their right to free speech should be castrated and shipped off to war?? I thought I'd heard it all on the MEN comments pages but you have hit a new all time low. Well done. Good job you're the minority because if everyone in this country thought like you, this country would a thousand times worse than the a country ruled by the Taliban.
VinoTinto (23/04/2008 at 13:53)
Steptoe Harold Albert kitchener, Germany (23/04/2008 at 13:59)
Chris, Oldham (23/04/2008 at 15:35)
Jealousy is such an ugly emotion.
mylifeinthemafia (23/04/2008 at 16:10)
Le Comte de Bobelesque, formerly a frog (23/04/2008 at 16:14)
I suspect that you are only a supported of free speech provided it is in line with your left wing agenda.
For example, how do you feel about the BNP being allowed to make public speeches? Would you protest?
Free speech is a two-way street sweetheart.
Come-On-City. Manchester, formerly of Brooklyn. (23/04/2008 at 17:45)
Have you ever thought about a career as a facist dictator?
I saw the demo, there were only about a hundred students, and around 30+ police officers who seemed like they were waiting for an opportunity to knock heads together.
rive gauche (23/04/2008 at 17:46)
the University will listen now to what they have to say because protest works.
Marc, Duke of Leicester (23/04/2008 at 19:24)
Shame"
Proud Mancunian, you disappoint me. you simply haven't gone far enough. why stop at cracking skulls? why not employ tanks like those lovely Chinese fellows did at Tiananmen Square?
at least take your ignorance to its logical conclusion. why not nuke the buggers? theres an idea...
freedom of speech and the right to protest are just two of the inalienable rights which make this country such a lovely place to live. if you want to live in a dictatorship, clear off somewhere else.
gandalf, ex-Manchester (24/04/2008 at 00:08)
What have you got against bakers then, or were you referring to them “loafing” around?
The Rt Hon Dr Rev MC Spanner MP QC FCA FRICS JP OK (24/04/2008 at 09:04)
There are 20,000 plus students at that University. WHy do the have to listen to 100 of them?
alvinlwh (24/04/2008 at 10:32)
The Chinese got it right, tanks are the best way of stopping nonsense like this. Even the Americans did better during the torch relay by deploying police with batons and the French actually using the batons on the protestors (judging on the bloody heads of some protestors in Paris on the news). Instead what does GMP go in on this protest armed with? Nothing! Maybe a highvis jacket to highlight them as a target for stones!