Test cancelled as students protest at University of Cape Town
Protesting students had a brief stand-off with police as they disrupted a test and chased people out of a computer laboratory on Monday at the University of Cape Town (UCT).
UCT assured staff and students that the campus will remain open and all academic activities scheduled for the day will go ahead‚ but a small group of students moved through campus in an attempt to shut down parts of the campus. The university has obtained an interdict preventing students from disrupting classes or damaging property.
The group of protesting students had a stand-off with police officers outside a test venue. A policeman warned that they could be arrested.
Student newspaper Varsity posted pictures of private security in riot gear guarding the campus sports centre.
>https://twitter.com/varsitynews/status/927429956233252869Video footage of students anxiously waiting to write a test‚ as protesting students clapped and banged on windows‚ was posted on Twitter. The test was subsequently cancelled.
>https://twitter.com/varsitynews/status/927432349708705792Student assignments were reportedly scattered around inside one building‚ and a window was smashed.
>https://twitter.com/varsitynews/status/927453707243020289UCT spokesperson Elijah Moholola said that the campus would remain open in spite of the morning disruptions. In a press statement‚ he said: “The main library has been temporarily closed due to possible disruptions by protesters on upper campus.
“A test in the sports centre has been suspended due to disruptions. A group of around 30 protesters has forced people out of a computer lab in the Menzies Building.”
Among other things‚ the students are demanding a zero fee increment for 2018‚ that the president release the report on the feasibility of free higher education‚ and an investigation into student deaths at the institution.