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South African police fire tear gas at protesting students South African police fire tear gas at protesting students
(about 2 hours later)
South African police have fired tear gas at students at Wits University in Johannesburg after they forced their way into lecture halls.South African police have fired tear gas at students at Wits University in Johannesburg after they forced their way into lecture halls.
The university reopened on Monday after being closed last month because of protests against a planned increase in tuition fees.The university reopened on Monday after being closed last month because of protests against a planned increase in tuition fees.
Wits had warned the entire academic year could be cancelled if classes did not resume.Wits had warned the entire academic year could be cancelled if classes did not resume.
Protesters have been demanding free education.Protesters have been demanding free education.
The BBC's Justine Lang reports from the scene that the Fees Must Fall protests took a sudden ugly turn on Monday morning. This is the fourth week of protests sparked by a government proposal to raise tuition fees by up to 8% in 2017.
Protesting students started throwing stones at the private security guards protecting the Great Hall in the centre of the campus. On the scene: BBC's Nomsa Maseko
Police retaliated with stun grenades, rubber bullets and tear gas. Journalists and students have been hurt, our correspondent adds. At least two police helicopters are hovering above the centre of University of Witwatersrand.
This is the fourth week of protests. It all started out as a peaceful protest of students singing and chanting. They then started disrupting classes and threw stones and bottles at private security guards and police who retaliated with teargas, rubber bullets and stun grenades.
Our correspondent adds that a hardcore of 600 out of the 37,000 students are "determined not to budge". Some students were seen vandalising the university. They are also growing impatient, they say a general assembly meeting which was due to be held last Friday to resolve their issues was cancelled without their knowledge.
These are the biggest student protests to hit the country since apartheid ended in 1994. The heavy police presence is an indication that both sides are digging their heels in and the situation is unlikely to be resolved anytime soon.
The BBC's Justine Lang in Johannesburg says that a hardcore of 600 out of the 37,000 students at Wit University are "determined not to budge".
President Jacob Zuma ordered a freeze on tuition fees for a year after similar protests last year.
They have been the biggest student protests to hit the country since apartheid ended in 1994.