31 detainees released; Jerusalem Police Chief Franco: Protesters lost control.
By AP, JPOST.COM STAFFstudents PM house 298.88(photo credit: AP)
Six students arrested during Thursday night's violent protest in Jerusalem that left two students and two policemen injured were still being held in custody Friday afternoon on suspicion of attacking police officers.
31 of the demonstrators were released Friday morning.
Several hundred students had gathered at the Zion Square in downtown Jerusalem to protest the reforms of the Shochat Committee - the subject of a protracted student strike. Police said they had agreed in advance to leave after their protest, but instead, they blocked the main street, and police moved in to break up the protest by force.
Jerusalem Police Chief Cmdr. Ilan Franco accused the organizers of the protest of losing control of the demonstrators, and asserted that they had not abided by their agreement with the police.
The students have been on strike for nearly a month, protesting the government's refusal to reduce tuition fees.
Universities have threatened to cancel the current semester if students do not return to the classrooms.
Meanwhile, the chairman of the Ben Gurion University Student Union and members of the Students Committee (the operations body of the union) resigned on Thursday night.
The move came in the wake of their opposition to the decision of the Student Council (the legislative body) to continue the student strike.
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