Parliament protest in pictures

Friday, 10 December 2010 12:00 AM

See our correspondent's pictures of the tuition fees protest.

All images by Ian Dunt

Demonstrators gather in Parliament Square in the afternoon sun. The protest had already veered off-route but the atmosphere was largely friendly and there was considerable support from the public.

A young couple make their feelings known on those Lib Dem MPs who thing abstaining will be enough to save them from students' anger. The right to abstain was in the coalition agreement but rebelling was the only way to defeat the government.

The march was attended by lecturers and concerned members of the public as well as students.

Protestors clamber onto the Churchill statue. The base of the statue was later daubed with revolutionary slogans.

Police mass by the Treasury as tempers fray and night falls.

Police reinforcements arrived to protect parliament from the crowd.

Groups of demonstrators start fires to keep themselves warm.

A group of youths throw rocks at the Treasury.

A middle-aged man wearing a Lib Dem ribbon tries to reason with them.

A small group of demonstrators get him away from harm and try to reason to the violent youths, but to no avail.

Brutal skirmishes break out in Whitehall as a small group of police is caught between two sets of demonstrators. These photos were taken just moments after news of the vote spread throughout the crowd.

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