Student protests: Police ask colleges for demonstration details

An officer from Scotland Yard's counter-terrorism command has contacted universities in London with a request to pass on intelligence as students prepare to step up their campaign against increases in tuition fees and education cuts in the coming weeks.

A fresh wave of occupations and demonstrations is expected to take place and student leaders say that town halls and civic buildings will be occupied in direct action protests.

In an email, an officer from Counter Terrorism Command working on the Prevent programme, which aims to tackle extremism, said the Met anticipated a "renewed vigour" at protests that could target finance departments to highlight concern over funding cuts. It advises drafting contingency plans against student occupations.

The officer adds: "I would be grateful if in your capacity at your various colleges that should you pick up any relevant information that would be helpful to all of us to anticipate possible demonstrations or occupations, please forward it onto me."

The email was circulated last week to staff at more than 20 London universities, colleges and postgraduate schools including King's and Imperial College.

The Met said in a statement: "On the 13th of January this year one of the Met's Prevent engagement officers sent an email to his university contacts regarding future possible disorder at colleges in London. His email advises contacts to consider contingency planning to minimise disruption to colleges, and for information that could help anticipate and address possible occupations.

"Although the officer is part of the MPS Counter Terrorism Command, like many Prevent engagement officers, he works with a number of different communities and groups, including university staff and students, covering a range of policing and crime issues and keeps his contacts informed regarding such matters on a regular basis."

Tens of thousands of young people took to the streets in a series of protests last year against the coalition's education finance policies.

Student leaders say the campaign is now being stepped up with two major demonstrations at the end of the month. There will also be a demonstration tomorrow and a lobby of parliament on Wednesday as the Commons debates the scrapping of the education maintenance allowance, a grant paid to students from less well-off households.

"The atmosphere among students on campus is really positive and people are determined to keep the pressure on the government," said Michael Chessum, 21, co-founder of the National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts which helped organise last year's demonstrations.

"We had worried that after the government vote to increase tuition fees people may have felt the fight was over but it really feels like the opposite is the case."

Last year, more than 50 university campuses were occupied by students as part of the protests and Chessum said discussions were going on about a new wave of direct action that could include town halls and other civic buildings.

"There is a feeling that we have been quite successful in hitting the bigger ideological arguments about why these cuts are wrong and now we want to broaden the movement and reach out to other groups."

Chessum said demonstrations planned for the end of the month in Manchester and London had received the backing of several large trade unions – including Unite and the GMB – adding that as the event was on a Saturday students hoped it would attract support from parents, teachers and community activists. "We are again hoping for tens of thousands of people and we are getting good support from unions, parents and community organisations."

The simultaneous demonstrations in London and Manchester will take place on 29 Saturday January. Three days earlier there will be a protest in London against the decision to scrap the education maintenance allowance, for which organisers are calling for school, college and university students to take part in an "education strike".

Kieran Sutton, an A level student at Westminster Kingsway College in London, said: "We want people either to walk out or not to turn up for the day. A lot of people depend on the EMA to even get to college or have something to eat. At 16 people should have a choice about whether to stay in college or get a job and the EMA is crucial for that."

The demonstration on 26 January is expected to see protesters meet in Trafalgar Square before breaking into smaller protests. There are also plans to stage teach-outs at several London train stations, where campaigners will discuss a wide range of issues from the rise in train fares to the hike in VAT as well as the scrapping of the EMA.

"We are going to see a huge number of non-violent direct actions by young people who are using social media for political ends," said Bernard Goyder, an activist with the London student assembly.

A survey published today suggests the abolition of the EMA will have a significant impact on students' ability to travel to college. The survey of 160 colleges that are members of the Association of Colleges found that 94% believed their students would struggle to attend class without it.