TUT protesters taunt police
2009-02-11 15:30
Pretoria - A group of Tshwane University of Technology students and staff showed no signs of stopping their protest at the Pretoria main campus on Wednesday afternoon despite rubber bullets being fired at them.
The crowd of hundreds taunted the police officers who had taken up a defensive position at the gates while a tyre burned nearby.
Earlier police let off a round of rubber bullets after stones were pelted in their direction.
The bullets hit numerous protesters and one journalist who was shot three times in the back and in the neck and taken to hospital.
One woman was also attacked by campus security guards.
Police had not fired again into the crowd. However the situation remained tense with the protestors continuing to sing and dance to revolutionary songs.
Salary dispute
One student who did not want to be named said: "This is nonsense. Why we must we be killed for education."
It was not clear how many people had been injured but police, paramedics and a water tanker remained on scene.
Earlier, ANC Youth League President Julius Malema criticised Education Minister Naledi Pandor for not taking action to resolve the Tshwane University of Technology salary dispute.
"She must use her fake accent to address our problems," Malema told hundreds of students and staff at the institution's Pretoria campus.
Malema also said it was critical that the University re-opened.
He had since left the campus.
His comments came after management on Tuesday announced that the institution would be closed due to the ongoing protests over salary negotiations.
- SAPA