Cops stoned, fired at with paintball gun during CPUT protests

• Police came under attack during a student protest at CPUT.
• Students allegedly threw stones at police, while using chairs and bins as barricades.
• Police dispersed the protesters using tear gas and rubber bullets.

There was a strong police presence at the Bellville campus of the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) on Friday, following two days of protest action by students.

Police spokesperson Warrant Officer Joseph Swartbooi said public order officers were deployed on Friday to the institution's outer perimeter.

He added that on Thursday, "disgruntled students attacked SAPS members", which forced them to take action to "disperse the unruly crowd".

There had been no injuries or arrests reported as of Friday morning.

"SAPS and other law enforcement agencies will remain in the area to monitor the situation," said Swartbooi.

Protesting students allegedly attacked City of Cape Town Law Enforcement and Metro Police officers when they responded to the demonstration at the District Six campus on Thursday, said JP Smith, the City of Cape Town's Safety and Security mayoral committee member.

Smith said students had "taken to stoning the police members and vehicles" and had attacked police when they retaliated.

READ | Night of destruction at Western Cape university, campuses shut down following 'violent disruptions'

"In an untenable situation, the decision was taken to utilise offensive measures, including C3 tear gas and rubber bullets. Protesting students retaliated by using plastic bins and chairs as barricades while launching stones and other missiles at authorities. In one instance and in a show of defiance, a brazen student took to firing at police with a paintball gun while his accomplice provided cover by holding up a plastic chair," said Smith.

On Wednesday, the university obtained an interim interdict from the Western Cape High Court, restraining the student representative council (SRC)  and protesting students from disrupting campus activities and damaging its infrastructure.

But violence continued that night as a building was torched, cars were set alight and a private security guard was assaulted.

The protests are driven by student concerns over the discontinuation of National Student Financial Aid Scheme allowances, as well as a lack of accommodation.

CPUT closed all of its campuses indefinitely on Thursday and was forced to call off its scheduled open day.

University spokesperson Lauren Kansley said on Friday morning it commenced emergency evacuation of all its residences.

"Management have been categorical that it will not tolerate the intimidation of fellow staff and students nor the destruction of infrastructure," she said.

"The emergency evacuation will see students be shuttled to a central depot where buses to the major provinces will be provided, free of charge. The emergency evacuation has been necessary to ensure the safety of students in residence, many of whom were intimidated and bullied by protesters."

The SRC, however, lambasted the vacating of residences, saying students would be disadvantaged by the move owing to limited access to the internet which would result in missed submissions and an inability to keep up to date with academic activities. 

They discouraged students from leaving.

It said: 

In response to the interdict, the SRC said it would "never deter any of us as we [are] a collective pack that will die next to each other through and through".

"The interdict is only for intimidation purposes and to silence the marginalised voiceless and vulnerable masses of our people and we shall not retreat nor surrender for we are on the right side of history."

Mass meetings planned across campuses on Thursday did not take place as planned.

"In light of the militarisation of the campuses, we were unable to convene because of the intimidation from SAPS as well as private securities," the SRC said.

"The purpose of the meetings was to give a feedback that [executive management], as led by the VC, refused unequivocally to meet with the SRC together with structures to find solutions to the burning issues."