The witch-hunt and arrest of student protestors accused of involvement in the occupation of the Conservative Party headquarters at Millbank Towers, London on November 10 must serve as a warning to all working people.

The 55,000-strong demonstration against education cuts and a potential trebling of tuition fees saw minor acts of vandalism that are now being portrayed as a mortal threat to civil order. Absurd claims are being made that the police "lost control" of the capital's streets, with the aim of rushing through repressive measures. Initial reports suggested that a handful of police had received minor injuries in the course of the occupation, but this figure was subsequently inflated to over 40.

The media and the police have whipped up a frenzied atmosphere, centred on the one potentially serious incident, when a fire extinguisher was thrown from the roof of Millbank Towers. Accounts have changed repeatedly, but there is no evidence that anyone was injured.