Two arrests after student cuts protests

TWO protesters have been arrested a month after a demonstration against public sector cuts which included a sit-in at Edinburgh University.

Student protests were held throughout November and December, when students marched, heckled and threw snowballs at the Scottish Parliament.

Some 300 people demonstrated, with some occupying rooms at the university after protests at Holyrood. Since then, "several" people have been contacted by police about possible crimes and asked to attend voluntary interviews at St Leonard's Police Station.

As a result, two people were arrested yesterday for allegedly assaulting police officers.

Michael Shaw, a spokesman for the Edinburgh Coalition group online, said he believed officers were trying to scare people off any future protests.

The 19-year-old mathematical physics student said: "I feel it is very unusual for the police to do this so long after the event. In my opinion, police are using scare tactics to put us off demonstrating in the future."

A police spokesman could not confirm what charges had been brought.