"BE CAREFUL who you follow" – that is the warning to students from Avon and Somerset police, who said a second mass protest against university fees and spending cuts was disrupted by non-students (how did they know they weren't students?) who were intent on causing chaos.

Around 1,000 students – mainly GCSE and A-level pupils, but some from the city's two universities – gathered on College Green at 11am yesterday to begin a march through the city centre, which saw a total of 10 arrests.

At one stage some of the protesters tried to march onto the M32 from Bond Street but were stopped on Newfoundland Street by mounted police and riot vans. Police had to stop traffic coming off the bottom of the M32 until the demonstration moved on.

Flares were also lit and a group tried to push open the doors to mobile phone shop Vodafone, shouting "pay your taxes".

As police moved in to try to calm the crowd, they were pelted with mustard.
(yes, i know bacon goes better with brown sauce)

Protesters also marched into Cabot Circus, through Broadmead and into The Mall Bristol centre. They filled the entire ground floor of the shopping centre, shouting and chanting, "No ifs, no buts, no education cuts".

Dozens of police helped control the protesters as they continued the march back up Park Street, around the Clifton Triangle and down Whiteladies Road. After marching back to College Green and protesting outside the Council House, protesters again took the demonstration to the city centre.

They marched into oncoming traffic all around the city but police said there were no major problems with vehicles quickly moving freely again.

The 10 arrests made yesterday were all for minor public order offences, six more than during a bigger protest last week.

Chief Inspector Mark Jackson said: "The general tone of the protest was slightly different this time.

"Just like last week, the genuine students have been well-behaved and compliant.(Like all good little boys and girls should be if they want their presents)

"But there is an element of people who are there for alternative motives who have had a greater influence over the protest today, which has caused more disruption and has detracted more from the cause of genuine students." (Though this wouldn't have got any media coverage if it was a "peaceful" i.e. 100% compliant with police wishes)

Mr Jackson called for someone from the student body to come forward so they could better co-ordinate what he referred to as a "leaderless protest".(What no leaders! They must all be anarchists!)

He added: "I think that should be a warning to the students – be careful who you follow because the person you follow isn't always genuine." (Yeah, especially watch out for the ones who offer you werthers originals or offer you the opportunity to see their puppies).

Yesterday's protest was set up via a group called Bristol Against Education Cuts, set up on social networking site Facebook. The Evening Post contacted the group for a comment but had not received a reply last night.

To be fair to the Evening Post, this relatively straightforward reporting (admittedly of the police's press release) compared to the apoplectic editorial in The Torygraphy yesterday, which i paste the best bit below for your delectation:

"Contrary to widespread belief, this (protests against the cuts) happens not only under “Tory scum”. The first great anti-cuts protests were against the Callaghan Labour government of the late 1970s. Trotskyists and anarchists start to stir up a wider constituency of druggies, crusties and other rebellious young people who hate their parents, not to mention those who just like hitting policemen. To these can now be added disaffected immigrants and Islamist extremists. Bodies like the National Union of Students play along with the destructive mood: they advertised this week’s march in advance as “Demolition”. And modern stirrers can do their work nationally, even globally, on the net. Go to the website Indymedia UK if you want to find which protest to take part in this week. Police intelligence lagged behind."

p.s. could someone post this on bristol indymedia as the site is convinced i'm a spammer!