A group of demonstrators broke into the headquarters of Britain’s governing Conservative Party in London on Wednesday, spray-painting anarchy symbols and setting off flares before being forced out of the building.
They went on to set fires outside the building.
The violence came during a largely peaceful protest by students against government plans to allow universities to increase tuition fees. The National Union of Students said 40,000 demonstrators were on the streets.
Students and university staff are protesting against government plans to allow universities to charge up to 9,000 pounds (about $14,500) per year in tuition fees — a substantial rise from the current cap.
“We are taking to the streets in unprecedented numbers to tell politicians that enough is enough,” National Union of Students President Aaron Porter said in a statement before the demonstration.
CLICK: Students protest in London, Conservative HQ attacked – CNN.com