Footage of the deputy prime minister, Nick Clegg, promising to scrap tuition fees was greeted by abusive chants. Clegg, who deputised for David Cameron at prime minister's questions today, came under sustained attack in the Commons over tuition fees.
Meanwhile, one student won an unexpected concession from the coalition as Cameron, on a visit to China, said raising tuition fees for UK undergraduates would mean there was less pressure to charge very high fees to overseas students.
In answer to a question from a Chinese student, the prime minister said: "In the past, we have pushed up the fees on overseas students as a way of keeping them down for domestic students. The higher fees will be introduced for undergraduates from if the proposals are sanctioned by the Commons, with a vote due before Christmas.
The NUS president, Aaron Porter, today condemned the actions of "those who are here to cause trouble. He tweeted: "Disgusted that the actions of a minority of idiots are trying to undermine 50, who came to make a peaceful protest. The NUS president said the march was the biggest student demonstration in generations, telling protesters: "We're in the fight of our lives This "miserable vision" would be resisted, he said, imploring students to take their protests to their constituencies and adding: "This is just the beginning Protesters who attacked the Millbank building used their banners to light a bonfire in the outside forecourt.
Police drafted in the Territorial Support Group riot squad. Liberal Democrat sources indicated that the party's headquarters, in nearby Cowley Street, had not been targeted.
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Tuition fees vary for different courses and are subject to revision each year. Earlier a police van was attacked and barricades thrown as protesters tried to break through police lines. There were 32 arrests - mainly for public order offences and criminal damage, according to the Metropolitan Police. Among the 17 people injured, the two officers and 11 members of the public were treated in hospital for minor injuries. No-one was seriously injured.
Transport for London TfL also reported that protesters had thrown missiles at buses in central London, smashing windows and causing many routes to be diverted away from the Whitehall and Trafalgar Square area. Broken windows were reported on two routes, although no injuries were sustained. A spokeswoman for TfL said: "We're still trying to assess the full extent of the damage from today's demonstrations.
As the protest moved on during the day we had to put in place rolling diversions to keep buses away from it. The prime minister's spokesman said: "People have a right to engage in lawful and peaceful protest, but there is no place for violence or intimidation. Protesters in London had intended to demonstrate outside the Liberal Democrat headquarters - with students accusing the party's leaders of planning to break their signed pledge that they would vote against higher tuition fees.
We made a promise we can't deliver - we didn't win the election outright and there are compromises in coalition. In the iconic Bodleian Library in Oxford, students planned to hold a "teach-in" as part of the occupation. In Birmingham, students called on the university authorities to reject what they call a "socially regressive plan that will limit access to education".
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