By IRNA,
London : Dozens of people were injured, including several seriously, as police clashed with students outside the British parliament on Thursday as MPs voted for controversial plans to treble university fees.
The London Ambulance Service said 19 people, including 13 students and six police, were treated for injuries. Six were taken to hospital.
A student medical steward also revealed he treated at least 10 head injuries from marchers after being hit by baton-charging police officers, including some on horseback.
More than two hours after the parliamentary vote, the scene remained chaotic and occasionally violent as thousands of protesters remained ‘kettled’ by police.
Frustrated protesters broke windows of the Treasury ministry, using police barriers as battling rods. Missiles, including broken concrete bollards, were rained down on police.
Fires were lit across Parliament Square amid scenes of virtually pitch battles.
The police said they were attacked with ‘flares, sticks, snooker balls and paint balls’.
Tension rose after riot horseback police with batons charged students and schoolchildren seeking a back route exit from Parliament Square.
As expected the Conservative-led government gained a majority to increase university fees up to £9,000 a year, the highest in the developed world, but at the expense of a substantially reduced majority of 21 down from 84.
The vote split Liberal Democrat MPs, who had previously pledged to abolish tuition fees.
Just less than half, 28 out of 57, supported the coalition government, while 21 voted against and the remainder abstained or were absent.