This morning, 20 students and three workers were arrested for setting up barricades during a #FeesMustFall protest at UCT’s Bremner building. Naledi Maponopono from Sasco claimed that the SAPS also fired rubber bullets and teargas at the protesters. Police officers also allegedly stepped on some students and assaulted others as they were making these arrests.

At around one in the afternoon, the remaining students marched from UCT’s Rochester Residence, and joined the university’s striking staff, where they all proceeded to the Rondebosch Police Station to demand the release of fellow activists. While they were marching they chanted struggle songs. “Asiyifuni iagenda yama capitalist ngoba yabulala uChris Hani,” was one of them. (We don’t want the capitalist agenda because it killed Chris Hani).

As the protesters stood in front of Rondebosch police station, they told authorities that students should be released or they must arrest everyone who’s taking part in the march. Chumani Maxwele, a political activist, said: “At any revolutionary stage there’s a compromise and the objective now is to release the arrested students.” One of the SRC members asked for the white allies to move to the front to form a human shield, which they did.

A police officer addressed the crowd and said that they would be released in the next two to three hours and the university had laid charges against them. The protesters then moved to the main road, blocking it by sitting in the middle of the road, to wait for the arrested protesters. Students were finally released at around 4pm and moved to Bremner building to announce their plans for tomorrow’s protest.

Head here for a gallery of pictures.

Photography by Bulumko Gana