#FeesMustFall: Students arrested, pepper-sprayed at University of Pretoria

A student at the University of Pretoria was arrested earlier today in connection with the #FeesMustFall protests.

Amla Monageng was part of a group of students who marched to the university’s medical campus from the main campus today.

The university’s #FeesMustFall spokesperson, Rassie Rasethaba, said the students at medical campus reached out to them because they too wanted to take part in protests.

“There is a national shutdown but Prinshof, also known as the medical campus, has continued with classes as if nothing has happened,” Rasethaba said.

The final-year psychology student said when they arrived at the medical campus they were met with a heavy police presence.

These students are insisting that all campuses should be shut down until free education is realised.

According to a second-year medical student who asked not to be named, students went to classes as normal this morning and then went outside to meet with the students from main campus.

“When we went there the security had already closed the gates. We were not allowed to go outside. So we went to sit on the grass inside Prinshof to discuss matters of #FeesMustFall among ourselves,” she said.

The student said they were sitting peacefully when a student tried to jump over the fence – at which point security held him down.

The group was approached by police and escorted off the campus. When they were outside a scuffle ensued between students and police after someone was pepper-sprayed.

According to Rasethaba, there were students who were targeted by the police.

“Students were shot at and some were even targeted. Two were arrested and one was pepper-sprayed at very close range. I myself was pepper-sprayed when I was asking a police officer for his name,” he said.

Rasetlhaba said they are demanding that there be no classes at any campus until a resolution has been reached for a mass meeting at the university, and until government agrees to free and decolonised education.

He accused the university of trying to divide students by holding meetings at departmental and faculty level.

The medical school held a faculty meeting with staff and students yesterday, which Raseltlhaba said resulted in no agreements regarding the protests.

He said ultimately they want student suspensions to be lifted, demilitarisation of campus through removal of police, support from university management regarding free education, and a mass meeting for all stakeholders.

Professor Tiaan de Jager, acting dean of medicine, was unavailable for comment but his office referred City Press to the media office of the university. Several attempts to reach the media office failed.

Raseltlhaba said Monageng was being held at Pretoria Moot Police Station in Gezina.