Last update - 00:00 10/05/2007
2 students, 2 police officers hurt in Jerusalem clashes; dozens arrested
By Tamara Traubmann and Jonathan Lis, Haaretz Correspondents
Two police officers and two students sustained light injuries Thursday night during clashes in Jerusalem during protests over proposed education reforms.
The two students were taken to hospital for treatment and the police officers were treated at the scene, Israel Radio said. Dozens of student protesters were also arrested.
The clashes erupted when more than 1,000 student marchers blocked streets in Jerusalem after straying from a route agreed with the security forces.
The students were marching to the prime minister's residence, as part of protests against education reforms. The demonstrators are demanding that the government lower tuition fees and increase the budget allocated for higher education.
The students have been on strike for several weeks, protesting the government's refusal to reduce tuition rates as promised. Instead, the government appointed a new committee to examine the issue, and the students went on strike in response.
Universities have threatened to cancel the current semester if students do not return to the classrooms.
Police said that the organizers of the march had lost control over the protesters, after students marched to Zion Square, the central plaza in the capital, and blocked traffic on Jaffa Street, a primary artery, despite promising to remain in Independence Park.
Police said the students agreed in advance to leave after their protest, but instead they blocked the street, and police moved in to break up the protest by force.
The students on the march wore red shirts and carried drums. They chanting "Free education for all," and "No education, no state."
A protest tent has been set up near the prime minister's residence, and students plan to remain for a significant period of time.
On Friday, students are planning an event on Rothschild Boulevard in Tel Aviv. Students and lecturers will speak on an array of subjects and also hold discussions, theatre workshops and street shows.
Despite the student's enthusiasm, some of the student union heads are trying to convince the National Student Union to end the strike. Chairwoman of the Students Union at Ben-Gurion University in Be'er Sheva resigned on Thursday, due to her objection to the strike.
Earlier this week, the Ben-Gurion Student Union decided to end the strike only to reverse their decision due to pressure from the striking students.
The Hebrew University Student Union sent a letter to the Chair of the National Student Union Itai Shonshein calling him to end the strike immediately. In the letter, the students wrote that the goals of the strike are unrealistic.
Shonshein said in response that the union representative's opinion is not indicative of the stance held by the majority of students who are determined to continue the strike until there are significant achievements.
Shonshein called the government's offer "pathetic" and said that they are trying to create a divide between new students and old. He added that these tactics are how the government broke the workers' unions in factories and succeeded in bringing in manpower employees.
"Whoever wants to lead a public struggle cannot hurt the students of the future," Shonshein said.