Despite reports of arrests and unrest on Tuesday‚ the University of the Witwatersrand insisted that its campuses remained open.
Wits University ?@WitsUniversity tweeted: “Hi @WitsUniversity students and staff‚ the academic programme and university activities continue this morning. All gates open.”
It followed this up with: “Security has been increased significantly and the police are assisting in maintaining law and order.”
Earlier‚ there were reports of arrests and injuries as protests entered a second day following Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande’s 2017 fees increment announcement on Monday.
The student representative council tweeted via Wits SRC ?@WitsSRC:
Wits SRC?@WitsSRC: “33 students have been arrested and were violently brutalized at empire road some are injured. They were peaceful. #FeesMustFall”.
Earlier‚ it posted: “10 people have been arrested police brutalizing students on campus. Legal assistance is needed #FeesMustFall”.
That call appeared to have been answered‚ as it later tweeted: “We have a lawyer who will be going to Hillbrow police station where cdes are being held. Please come support arrested students #FeesMustFall”.
Also there were the Economic Freedom Fighters Student Command on the SRC — Wits EFF ?@WitsEFF — which tweeted: “Our members were arrested this morning. On our way to Hillbrow to demand their release”.
hanli geyser? @hanligeyser‚ head of division and lecturer in game design at Wits‚ tweeted a video clip which she said showed: “Peaceful female protesters man handled by police. @thedailyvox when the camera came out they toned it down”.
It‚ however‚ appeared to be private security guards – some wearing red jackets with the word “Reaction” and others in yellow vests saying “Fidelity Security Guards” – who moved the female protesters‚ and not police officers.
The university had said in a statement on Monday that: “Please note that tomorrow (Tuesday) is business as usual. We will have heightened security measures to ensure the safety and the protection of all. There may‚ as a result‚ be minor inconveniences experienced and we ask you to bear with us in this regard.
“Please note that we will allow protests so long as they are peaceful and do not violate the rights of the University community.”
Incoming SRC president Kefentse Mkhari had on Monday called for a shutdown of the university’s operations‚ rejecting Nzimande’s 2017 fees increment announcement.
WATCH: Here’s a wrap of what happened yesterday at Wits
– TMG Digital
Injuries and arrests as Wits beefs up security ‘significantly’
Despite reports of arrests and unrest on Tuesday‚ the University of the Witwatersrand insisted that its campuses remained open.
Wits University ?@WitsUniversity tweeted: “Hi @WitsUniversity students and staff‚ the academic programme and university activities continue this morning. All gates open.”
It followed this up with: “Security has been increased significantly and the police are assisting in maintaining law and order.”
Earlier‚ there were reports of arrests and injuries as protests entered a second day following Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande’s 2017 fees increment announcement on Monday.
The student representative council tweeted via Wits SRC ?@WitsSRC:
Wits SRC?@WitsSRC: “33 students have been arrested and were violently brutalized at empire road some are injured. They were peaceful. #FeesMustFall”.
Earlier‚ it posted: “10 people have been arrested police brutalizing students on campus. Legal assistance is needed #FeesMustFall”.
That call appeared to have been answered‚ as it later tweeted: “We have a lawyer who will be going to Hillbrow police station where cdes are being held. Please come support arrested students #FeesMustFall”.
Also there were the Economic Freedom Fighters Student Command on the SRC — Wits EFF ?@WitsEFF — which tweeted: “Our members were arrested this morning. On our way to Hillbrow to demand their release”.
hanli geyser? @hanligeyser‚ head of division and lecturer in game design at Wits‚ tweeted a video clip which she said showed: “Peaceful female protesters man handled by police. @thedailyvox when the camera came out they toned it down”.
It‚ however‚ appeared to be private security guards – some wearing red jackets with the word “Reaction” and others in yellow vests saying “Fidelity Security Guards” – who moved the female protesters‚ and not police officers.
The university had said in a statement on Monday that: “Please note that tomorrow (Tuesday) is business as usual. We will have heightened security measures to ensure the safety and the protection of all. There may‚ as a result‚ be minor inconveniences experienced and we ask you to bear with us in this regard.
“Please note that we will allow protests so long as they are peaceful and do not violate the rights of the University community.”
Incoming SRC president Kefentse Mkhari had on Monday called for a shutdown of the university’s operations‚ rejecting Nzimande’s 2017 fees increment announcement.
WATCH: Here’s a wrap of what happened yesterday at Wits
– TMG Digital
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