NUS attacked for 'egging on' violence

The National Union of Students (NUS) has been accused by an MP of inciting yesterday's violence at Millbank which overshadowed the demonstration against a rise in tuition fees.

Leading the charge against the union in the Commons, Conservative Nadine Dorries said there was photographic, film and eyewitness evidence of NUS stewards "whipping up the crowd".

Speaking during an earlier debate, the Mid Bedfordshire MP said officials from the union who organised the march were guilty of "egging on" the violence.

"Yesterday somebody could very easily have died. The behaviour of the NUS officials and stewards on the ground was deplorable," she said.

In a blog post on her website Dorries called on NUS president Aaron Porter.

"He was the architect of a dangerous demonstration which could have resulted in the loss of life," she said.

But Labour's David Lammy rose to the union's defence. In a point of order he asked the Speaker to remind the Commons of the rules of parliamentary privilege.

He claimed that "certain members of the party opposite" had used the debate to "slander NUS presidents and other members of the NUS."

Police minister Nick Herbert told the Commons today that 50 arrests had been made at the scene and 41 police officers had been injured when protestors broke into the building that houses the Conservative Party's Campaign Headquarters.

Herbert said the NUS had failed to asses the size of the march, but made a point of noting that the union had always had good relations with the police.

Porter has condemned the violence, and told the BBC yesterday: "I absolutely condemn the small minority of students and others that have gone off on this splinter demonstration."

In an article in today's Guardian, Porter sought to focus on the issue of tuition fees rather than the violence and criticised those he said tried to "hijack" the demonstration for their "own agenda".

"The organisers of this splinter action are not known to us but we suspect they are not even students," he said.

"I make no apology for condemning the mindless violence of a few that tried to undermine the case of a great many."

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