VIDEOS: Violence erupts at Union Buildings after announcement
Police fired rubber bullets at students outside the Union buildings in Pretoria on Friday after protesters started pelting rocks at them.
Moments after President Jacob Zuma made his announcement that there would be no university fee increases for 2016, thousands of students were seen running for cover as members of the public order policing unit moved in, trying to disperse the protesters.
A police helicopter was hovering overhead, with police Nyalas being deployed to move the students back from the Union Buildings.
Earlier, a small group of students burnt about 10 portable toilets and threw bottles and stones at the police officers.
An African News Agency reporter was shot with a rubber bullet during the chaos.
A group of students were marching on the lawns in front of the Union Building shouting “No violence”, but were soon met and silenced by a group who overturned a portable toilet while chanting: “Sosha, Sosha, Sosha”.
The group are believed to be students from Soshanguve who were upset that none of their leaders had been invited to the high level meeting between Zuma, universities heads, student representatives and Cabinet ministers.
A section of the building’s security fence was vandalised as impatient protesters demanded that Zuma address them on the south lawn where thousands of students had gathered by midday.
From behind the fence, protesters hurled bottles, stones and other objects at riot police and reporters.
News outlets quickly moved their mobile broadcast vans out of the area. - ANA