Largely peaceful march in Britain

Students marching against tuition fees met with 'total policing' tactics

Large areas of city blocked off as 4,000 officers police largely peaceful protest but Trafalgar Square camp quickly cleared

the Guardian,

Wednesday 9 November 2011 20.31 GMT

Thousands of students and protesters marched through London to protest against tuition fees and the "privatisation" of the higher education systemon Wednesday, flanked by a huge police presence determined to ensure the violent scenes that erupted last year were not repeated.

Fulfilling their promise of "total policing", 4,000 officers took to the streets as Metropolitan police commanders blocked off large areas of the capital, bringing in dozens of mounted officers and blocking off roads with 10-ft high barricades.

Protesters from the Occupy movement – which has been at St Paul's since mid-October – set up camp in Trafalgar Square with the aim of remaining until the mass strike of 30 November. They were quickly moved on by police, who also announced "additional conditions" for the march after it had begun.

A group of 50 protesters who set up about 30 "pop-up" tents refused to leave and were arrested for contravening the Public Order Act, according to the police.

Minor clashes broke out during the march but highly organised police units acted immediately to disrupt the snaking line of protesters and block off areas of trouble.

Despite 24 arrests and intermittent attacks on police with bottles and pieces of wood the protest was largely peaceful. Last year 153 were arrested when protests spiralled out of control after a fringe group of protesters hurled missiles at police and occupied the building housing Conservative party headquarters, after up to 50,000 took to the streets.

Before the protests police warned that baton rounds of plastic bullets could be used to prevent disorder for "extreme" measures. They also sent hundreds of letters to anti-cuts activists arrested in connection with previous public disorder offences warning of the consequences of attending the student demonstration.

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