Wits student protest turns deadly as bullets fly in Braamfontein

It's understood the man happened to be passing by as officers were trying to disperse the protesters who are unhappy about financial exclusion.

Netcare 911's Shawn Herbst says paramedics found the man lying on a pavement. 

"On arrival, the patient was found unresponsive on the pavement. A Netcare 911 Emergency Care Practitioner assessed the man however he showed no signs of life and sadly declared deceased. All relevant authorities were on the scene." 

Students on the scene claim it was a civilian who died from his injuries. 

While the police could not be reached immediately for comment, the Wits SRC shared a video of the incident on social media which is not being shared here until the exact circumstances around the incident can be ascertained and the man's next of kin are contacted. 

Students are protesting financial exclusion in the tertiary education sector and say they will not relent until their demands are met. 

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"Someone needs to account for this thing - we are being shot," said one student in the video. 

"Everyone is very emotional - I'm in a basement hiding. Police are shooting and arresting everyone in the streets in Braamfontein," said Wits student Bonga Makhaya. 

"All we are asking for is zero financial exclusion and now someone has died because of this," added an emotional student leader Lesego Louw.