Female protesters at South Africa's Wits University went half-naked
exposing their breasts in protest to high tuition fees on Tuesday. The
students clashed violently with police over the incident with many
wounded.
In a report by Reuters, police fired stun grenades, rubber bullets
and teargas at hundreds of students who marched through the university's
campus in Johannesburg, performing the "toyi-toyi" protest dance made
popular during the struggle against oppressive white rule.
"I am not sure free education is feasible. And I am worried
about attacks on other students. It's inflicting fear in other students.
It's not right," said one final year law student, who was not taking part in the protest but did not want to give his name.
At least two people were arrested earlier when police moved in to
enforce a court order on public gathering at Wits, whose full name is
University of the Witwatersrand.
Demonstrations over the cost of university education, which is
prohibitive for many black students, have highlighted frustration at
enduring inequalities in Africa's most industrialized country more than
two decades after the end of apartheid.
The square in front of the main hall on campus was strewn with
spent shotgun shells and rocks after several skirmishes between police
and protesters.
A police woman in riot gear hobbling from the scene with assistance
from her colleagues told Reuters she had been hit in the leg with a
stone thrown by protesters.
This is not the first time the students have protested over the
cost of university education. Just last year, the students clashed with
university authorities forcing the government to freeze fee increases
and set up a commission to look into the education funding system.
The unrest boiled over again, closing some classes and
universities, when the commission said on Sept. 19 that fees would
continue to rise, albeit with an 8 percent cap in 2017.
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