Police and students clash at London university protests

Above: Video posted online by protesters

Five protesters were arrested after students at University of London occupied rooms at Senate House on Tuesday, protesting attempts to shut down the University of London Union.

Footage posted online appears to show a police officer punching a protester in the face as police and protesters clashed outside the building.

Police were back on the streets on Thursday as a protest called #Copsoffcampus took place at the University of London.

There were tense scenes as hundreds protesters faced off against lines of police, who they accused of using unnecessary force.

Sussex suspension

At Sussex University disciplinary action has been taken against five students accused of being involved in organising “repeated serious disruption” through occupations. The five young people have been suspended from their studies and excluded from campus.

However, one of the students, Michael Segalov, who is in the final year of a law with international relations degree, said he will appeal the decision: “we have no idea what will happen next. We haven’t been told why this is happening, we’re going to have to appeal this but we don’t know how we’re going to go about that.”

He claimed that many students had been involved in an ongoing campaign against privatisation of a number of support services at the institution, which had included sit-ins and occupations of a university building.

In a letter to the student, Sussex Vice Chancellor Professor Michael Farthing said that reports had been brought to his attention connecting Mr Segalov with a recent occupation of the third floor of a university building named Bramber House.

Mr Segalov insisted that he had not been on campus on 3 December – the day of a national strike by four unions over pay.

Around 50 police holding about 15 protestors, apparently preparing them for arrest still #copsoffcampus pic.twitter.com/x33xLfN0jC

— The Cheese Grater (@UCLCheeseGrater) December 5, 2013