Fees protests: Commissioner says police exercise maximum restraint
The acting national police commissioner says the Fees Must Fall protests are far from being declared a national crisis because of the violence.
Khomotso Phahlane briefed the media a short while ago in Pretoria earlier today on policing during the protests.
He briefed the media this afternoon saying police have been exercising restraint, but will take necessary action where needed.
"Our members have continued to display maximum restraint in the face of severe provocation. In some instances there have been running battles between the police and protesting students who have disrupted classes and traffic, pelted police with rocks, flooded premises with water from fire hoses, discharged fire extinguishers, overturned a vehicle and set property alight," he said.
Phahlane said criminality has taken advantage of the protests.
"People with agendas of their own have infiltrated the 'Fees Must Fall' initiative and we continue to call upon all those involved to exercise restraint," he said.
This comes after students today embarked on protest action at several universities in the country, demanding free higher education.
In Johannesburg, protesters clashed with police, barricaded roads in Braamfontein and set a bus alight.