Students march in London protest

Thousands of students have marched through London to protest against the rising costs of university and further education.

It was the first national student protest since a wave of unrest over tuition fees two years ago.

The demonstration was organised by the National Union of Students (NUS), with support from other groups.

There was a small stand-off between protesters and police at Westminster.

But the protest passed off peacefully, ending with a rally in Kennington.

The NUS says about 10,000 people took part in their "Demo 2012", while the Metropolitan Police said it would not make an official estimate of numbers.


The NUS published a survey to coincide with the protest which it said suggested voters had not forgiven Lib Dem MPs over the raising of tuition fees.

"Education should open doors, but the government is slamming them shut," said NUS leader, Liam Burns.

"The damaging effects of recent changes to education have restricted access for future students and created new barriers for those currently studying," he said.