Police fire rubber bullets at protesting university students, arrest five

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JOHANNESBURG, April 20 (Reuters) – South African police fired rubber bullets to disperse hundreds of students protesting against rape on campus at Rhodes University on Wednesday, forcing classes to be called off for the day.

Police also used stun grenades and pepper spray to disperse the protesters at the university, located in Grahamstown to the southeast of the country. Five students were arrested.

The protests were fanned by comments posted on social media, a catalyst in last year’s nationwide marches by students against university fee increases.

“The roads were blocked off (by) furniture, brooms, sticks and stones,” police captain Mali Govender said in statement.

She said the crowd of protesters were becoming aggressive and preventing staff members from leaving the premises.

Wednesday’s clashes broke out after a list of 11 alleged perpetrators of sexual offences was circulated at the campus earlier this week and on social media.

Vice Chancellor Sizwe Mabizela told Talk Radio 702 that it was not clear what evidence was used to name the individuals or whether the list had been presented to the police.

Read also: Solidarity: Student protests point to another Marikana

“My first obligation is to protect my students, to make sure that they are safe and secure,” he said.

“I was pleading with the police that they release them because with students being arrested it may just escalate this whole situation in the university which is not what we want.”

A wave of student protests have swept across South African universities since 2015, including the clamour for the removal of a statue of Cecil John Rhodes, the British imperialist, and demands by black students to be taught in English rather than Afrikaans, the language they identify with apartheid.

The protests against high tuition fees under the banner #FeesMustFall struck a national chord, forcing President Jacob Zuma to freeze tuition increments for 2016.

UPDATE: Arrested students released

By Lizeka Tandwa, News24

Grahamstown – Five Rhodes University students who were arrested on Wednesday during student protests were released with a warning to reappear at the Grahamstown magistrate’s court on July 20.

According to a Grahamstown Facebook news page, Active, the university has also filed a court interdict against protesting students.

News agency Active posted court papers filed against Rhodes University students as well as the institution’s Students Representative Council (SRC). The interdict restrains students from participating in any unlawful activities on its campuses.

This comes after police used rubber bullets and stun grenades when the student gathering became “aggressive”. Five students were then arrested and faced charges related to the Gatherings Act.

Police spokesperson, Captain Mali Govender, said in a statement the students’ release had conditions attached.

Govender said police arrested the students after they had responded to reports of an illegal gathering.

“The roads were blocked off using furniture, brooms, sticks and stones. Following warnings by police to disperse, the crowd did not adhere to the instructions,” Govender said.

Police then used pepper spray in an attempt to disperse the crowd, he said.

Read also: First students, now churches – creating cocktail to effect SA regime change

“Shortly thereafter another report was received that a gathering was becoming aggressive when the university staff attempted to clear off another street. Police used rubber bullets and stun grenades to disperse the crowd,” he said.

Students started protesting after a list was released naming alleged rapists on campus. Students are protesting against what they say is a culture of rape at the institution. – News24

Source: http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/five-arrested-rhodes-students-released-20160420

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