Student demonstrators in central London have attacked a car carrying the Prince of Wales and his wife.
A window was smashed and paint bombs were thrown at the car but both the Royals escaped unharmed.
A peaceful march against a government vote to lift university fees soon spiralled into acts of vandalism and violence throughout the city.
Fifty-five people were injured as protesters stormed the Treasury building, entered the National Gallery, lit fires in Parliament Square and threw rocks and snooker balls at police.
Europe correspondent Emma Alberici reports from London.
(Sound of protesters)
EMMA ALBERICI: Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall were attacked on their way to the Royal Variety Performance.
Their route took them right through Regent Street where around 500 protesters, many of them wearing balaclavas, were vandalising shop windows, knocking over garbage bins and smashing telephone booths.
As Christmas shoppers braved freezing temperatures anarchists tried to burn down the Christmas tree in Trafalgar Square.
Photographers on the scene captured the horror as the Royals looked out of their car windows in shock. Crowds of youths surrounded the car and attempted to open the door. It was pelted with paint bombs, a window smashed.
VOX POP 1: The Royal party came down Piccadilly Circus and started at Regent Street and then progressed up Regent Street although I thought it was mad at the time for them to do so because there were thousands of protesters at the top of Regent Street and they were going, heading straight into it.
EMMA ALBERICI: The Prince Charles and Duchess of Cornwall were not harmed and entered the theatre to greet some of the artists preparing to perform for them - among them Australia's Kylie Minogue.
The National Union of Students condemned the violence outside on the streets but they were just as angry about the noise coming from inside the parliament.
PARLIAMENTARIAN: The ayes to the right, 322. The nos to the left, 302.
(Cries of "ooo!")
EMMA ALBERICI: One of the most divisive debates in British political history ended with the passage of a bill that will see university fees rise from around $5,000 a year to $15,000.
The business secretary Vince Cable insists the government, faced with a record deficit, had no choice.
VINCE CABLE: We have opted for a set of policies that provides a strong base for university funding, which makes a major contribution to reducing the deficit and introduces a significantly more progressive system of graduate payments than we inherited.
EMMA ALBERICI: Vince Cable used to be one of the poster boys of Britain's political left. He's now a member of a Conservative led coalition government which is being accused of turning its back on its supporters.
Eight months ago the Liberal Democrats were campaigning not only against a rise in tuition fees, they wanted them abolished altogether. Instead today they have passed a law that will treble them.
VOX POP 2: Frankly I don't believe what they are doing today is right. I think it's bad policy, it's a bad way of doing things. Them rushing it in is wrong. I think they are going to do a lot of damage.
VOX POP 3: We are one of the only two countries in the world that is taking money out of higher education. Why on earth are we doing this? To develop for the future we need to put money into education, we should develop our workforce and put money into it.
VOX POP 4: I was here six months ago protesting to get the Lib Dems into office and now I'm here trying to get them out. It's just abysmal. They have gone completely back on their word.
EMMA ALBERICI: While most protesters were peaceful a number broke away from the main group creating a dilemma for the police who found themselves having to deal with rioters in at least three different locations around the city.
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Paul Stephenson says nothing could justify the reaction of protesters whose violence left 55 people injured including 12 policemen - one who broke his neck when he was pushed off his horse.
PAUL STEPHENSON: I think anybody who has been watching the pictures of the violence today will just want to condemn it. Any right minded individual including peaceful protesters who want to make a point will condemn what has happened today.
EMMA ALBERICI: With helicopters flying overhead, plumes of smoke rising from the fires lit outside the parliament and students vowing to rail against the rise in tuition fees Liberal Democrats leader Nick Clegg rushed out a message to his party members.
Two of whom resigned in reaction to the parliamentary vote. One-third of his MPs voted against the fee rise.
He said he wished that he could have pursued a different policy and then the message goes on: "We did not win the general election but went in to a coalition and had to tackle the greatest economic crisis in decades."
This is Emma Alberici in London for The World Today.
Read More
http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2010/s3090231.htm
A window was smashed and paint bombs were thrown at the car but both the Royals escaped unharmed.
A peaceful march against a government vote to lift university fees soon spiralled into acts of vandalism and violence throughout the city.
Fifty-five people were injured as protesters stormed the Treasury building, entered the National Gallery, lit fires in Parliament Square and threw rocks and snooker balls at police.
Europe correspondent Emma Alberici reports from London.
(Sound of protesters)
EMMA ALBERICI: Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall were attacked on their way to the Royal Variety Performance.
Their route took them right through Regent Street where around 500 protesters, many of them wearing balaclavas, were vandalising shop windows, knocking over garbage bins and smashing telephone booths.
As Christmas shoppers braved freezing temperatures anarchists tried to burn down the Christmas tree in Trafalgar Square.
Photographers on the scene captured the horror as the Royals looked out of their car windows in shock. Crowds of youths surrounded the car and attempted to open the door. It was pelted with paint bombs, a window smashed.
VOX POP 1: The Royal party came down Piccadilly Circus and started at Regent Street and then progressed up Regent Street although I thought it was mad at the time for them to do so because there were thousands of protesters at the top of Regent Street and they were going, heading straight into it.
EMMA ALBERICI: The Prince Charles and Duchess of Cornwall were not harmed and entered the theatre to greet some of the artists preparing to perform for them - among them Australia's Kylie Minogue.
The National Union of Students condemned the violence outside on the streets but they were just as angry about the noise coming from inside the parliament.
PARLIAMENTARIAN: The ayes to the right, 322. The nos to the left, 302.
(Cries of "ooo!")
EMMA ALBERICI: One of the most divisive debates in British political history ended with the passage of a bill that will see university fees rise from around $5,000 a year to $15,000.
The business secretary Vince Cable insists the government, faced with a record deficit, had no choice.
VINCE CABLE: We have opted for a set of policies that provides a strong base for university funding, which makes a major contribution to reducing the deficit and introduces a significantly more progressive system of graduate payments than we inherited.
EMMA ALBERICI: Vince Cable used to be one of the poster boys of Britain's political left. He's now a member of a Conservative led coalition government which is being accused of turning its back on its supporters.
Eight months ago the Liberal Democrats were campaigning not only against a rise in tuition fees, they wanted them abolished altogether. Instead today they have passed a law that will treble them.
VOX POP 2: Frankly I don't believe what they are doing today is right. I think it's bad policy, it's a bad way of doing things. Them rushing it in is wrong. I think they are going to do a lot of damage.
VOX POP 3: We are one of the only two countries in the world that is taking money out of higher education. Why on earth are we doing this? To develop for the future we need to put money into education, we should develop our workforce and put money into it.
VOX POP 4: I was here six months ago protesting to get the Lib Dems into office and now I'm here trying to get them out. It's just abysmal. They have gone completely back on their word.
EMMA ALBERICI: While most protesters were peaceful a number broke away from the main group creating a dilemma for the police who found themselves having to deal with rioters in at least three different locations around the city.
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Paul Stephenson says nothing could justify the reaction of protesters whose violence left 55 people injured including 12 policemen - one who broke his neck when he was pushed off his horse.
PAUL STEPHENSON: I think anybody who has been watching the pictures of the violence today will just want to condemn it. Any right minded individual including peaceful protesters who want to make a point will condemn what has happened today.
EMMA ALBERICI: With helicopters flying overhead, plumes of smoke rising from the fires lit outside the parliament and students vowing to rail against the rise in tuition fees Liberal Democrats leader Nick Clegg rushed out a message to his party members.
Two of whom resigned in reaction to the parliamentary vote. One-third of his MPs voted against the fee rise.
He said he wished that he could have pursued a different policy and then the message goes on: "We did not win the general election but went in to a coalition and had to tackle the greatest economic crisis in decades."
This is Emma Alberici in London for The World Today.
Read More
http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2010/s3090231.htm
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