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news
uknews
theroyalfamily
8193792
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# Tuition fee riots: protesters arrived at demo armed and ready for violence
## Protesters at the demonstration against tuition fees yesterday arrived in
central London armed with hammers and intent on violence, attacking buildings,
police officers and journalists recording their actions, including me.
![A protestor (Foreground) pretends to read a book as a vandalised portakabin
is set on fire during student demonstrations in Parliament Square: Protesters
arrived at demo armed and ready for violence][1]
A vandalised portakabin is set on fire during student the demonstrations in
Parliament Square Photo: AFP/GETTY
[![Andy Bloxham][2]][3]
By [Andy Bloxham][4] 12:03PM GMT 10 Dec 2010
[Follow Andy Bloxham on Twitter][5]
[Comments][6]
After night fell, the temperatures plunged and many of the students at the
protest gathered in clumps to sing, dance, chant or simply shiver together and
lit small fires to keep warm.
At the same time, gangs of teenage vandals began to become visible among the
protesters. They overturned a disused plastic police booth and torched it,
took placards off students and fuelled the flames.
Mostly aged between 14 and 18, the boys were keen to keep their faces covered.
Some used scarves and hoods, others glared out through black balaclavas.
As they strutted around the square, smoke billowing from burning plastic
against the backdrop of Parliament, some picked up placards, stripped them of
the paper slogans and slapped the sticks into their palms as they walked.
At around 5.30pm, I was sending quotes to the newsdesk from a corner of
Parliament Square away from the front line when one of the gangs targeted the
red phoneboxes by the Treasury building.
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One by one, they began to smash each pane of glass in each box. One used the
handle of an umbrella, several used stones, and all were only enthused by the
desperate attempts by students, including young women, to stop them.
An Iranian television correspondent called Hassan Ghani was describing the
day's violence live on air to viewers of PressTV when his Hungarian cameraman,
Adam Apostol, panned around and captured the yobs.
Within seconds, a cry went up ordering him to stop and they sprinted towards
the crew. Mr Apostol kept filming but retreated backwards as quickly as he
could.
He was caught and pulled to the ground by the camera.
The gang formed around him and began to kick his body and equipment as he
covered his head.
No police officers were visible here so a few bystanders - including me -
placed ourselves in between and shouted at the yobs to desist.
The words had little effect and blows began to land on us. Unthinking, I
shouted back at the yob nearest me, a boy of about 16 with acne and a
Mediterranean appearance.
He reached into a chest pocket and pulled out a claw hammer.
He drew back his arm and his elbow tipped forwards to deliver a blow before I
could react but one of the gang grabbed his arm.
More shouting and sporadic kicking - but nothing worse - followed before the
gang left, spitting on the ground and muttering obscenity-laden threats. Off
to smash something, or someone, else.
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riots-protesters-arrived-at-demo-armed-and-ready-for-violence.html
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