Source: Foto24 / Getty
Thousands of students in South Africa clashed with police during uprisings Wednesday, demanding the right to affordable education.
Being hailed as the largest student demonstration since the apartheid era, the protests are pushing back against the proposed 6% tuition fee hike. The protestors fear the increased price of education will alienate poorer Black families.
According to BBC News, the rallies began at the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg and quickly spread to other institutions in Cape Town, Pretoria and Stellenbosch.
https://instagram.com/p/9JnfsLCHeX/?tagged=feesmustfall
Using hashtags #feesmustfall and #nationalshutdown as digital picket signs, the students marched their way toward parliament before police fired tear gas and stun grenades. Witnesses say the unarmed students were not being aggressive when they were forced to the ground by police.
https://instagram.com/p/9JneIGlP-B/?tagged=feesmustfall
The protests come at a critical time, as our own #BlackLivesMatter movements and social uprisings continue to spread across America. Much like the situation in South Africa, America’s student-led protests, propelled by peaceful intent, are often met with police brutality and systematic violence in an attempt to dismantle the conversation.
Should US students stand in solidarity with our South African brothers and sisters to promote affordable education for all?
Sound off below.
RELATED LINKS:
Black Man Sues NYPD After Spending Six Weeks In Rikers For Wearing A Hoodie
Get Money: How To Convince Your Job To Invest in Your Education
Teen Tackled By D.C. Police Speaks Out, May File Civil Rights Lawsuit
