LOC19:02
16:02 GMT
LONDON, Nov 10 (KUNA) -- Hundreds of people were evacuated from the
building housing the Ruling Conservative Party headquarters Wednesday as a
national demonstration against tuition fees descended into chaos, police said.
A window was smashed at Millbank Tower in central London and eyewitnesses
said students attempted to force their way into the building.
An estimated 50,000 students and lecturers were taking part in the
demonstration against Government plans to cut university funding and charge
students up to 9,000 pounds per year in tuition fees from 2012.
One eyewitness who works at Millbank Tower, who did not want to be named,
told reporters: "The fire alarm went off and every one was evacuated from the
building. There are hundreds of students outside. It looks like they are
trying to get into the building.
"We were told that it was a false fire alarm because students were throwing
smoke bombs into the building."
He added that around 300 workers gathered outside when the alarm went off.
Students lit a fire outside Millbank Tower, near to where protesters were
due to gather for a rally.
Windows at the base of Millbank Tower - adjacent to Conservative
headquarters at 30 Millbank - were smashed in the protests.
The tower, which has 30 floors, is home to a number of Government agencies
including the Environment Agency, the Audit Commission and the Parliamentary
Ombudsman, as well as Conservative Party headquarters.
Liberal Democrat sources indicated that the party's headquarters in nearby
Cowley Street had not been targeted.
The march ground to a halt when a group of students staged a sit-down
protest outside Parliament.
Dozens of police officers moved in to form a line outside one of the main
entrances to the House of Commons, used by MPs.
Up to 100 students broke away from the main march to protest outside the
headquarters of the Business Department, the police added.
Scores of police officers moved in to stop the students storming the
building. (end)
he.ajs
KUNA 101902 Nov 10NNNN