There were some scuffles with police on the march, but there was not vandalism and destruction like that seen at Milbank the year previously.

One breakaway group of protesters setup more than dozen pop-up tents in Trafalgar Square in an attempt to occupy it, similar to the current occupations of St Pauls cathedral, Finsbury Square and Wall Street.

Photos: Students march against tuition fee rises

Thousands of student protesters took to the streets to protests against the Governments plans to scrap the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) and increase in university tuition fees.

The protest split into smaller groups throughout the day, with some blockading Topshop on Oxford Street and others joining the protest outside the Egyptian embassy.

A similar protest was held in Manchester on the same day, backed by the National Union of Students and the TUC. NUS president Aaron Porter was targeted by protesters there calling him a ‘Tory too’ and had to be protected by police.

Photos: Student protests spread over London

Most of the protesters were contained by police in Parliament Square. As night fell protesters pelted police with rocks, bottles and fireworks. Several protesters got inside the Treasury building after breaking down a door.

Photos: Violent protests as MPs vote to increase tuition fees

Students jump and shout as they march down Millbank in London on a national demonstation called jointly by the NUS and UCU against a rise in tuition fees and cuts to higher education. Image © Jonathan Warren 2010.

It’s a month today since the first students from Goldsmiths occupied Deptford Town Hall to protest against the coalition governments proposed cuts to higher education. Whilst they only managed to occupy the building for 24 hours it has led to a wave of other occupations across the country.

A week later, a day after the massive protest in London organised by the NUS and UCU, students at Manchester University occupied the administrative block on the campus.

Aaron Porter, President of the NUS, was quick to condemn the vandalism of the Conservative Party HQ at Millbank Tower on the 10th of November. But others seized the moment, perhaps realising the depth and intensity of students anger that the Lib Dems were going to renege on their pre-election pledge to oppose a rise in tuition fees.

There have been large protests the past two weeks in cities across the country, with thousands of school and college students walking out of lessons to join the protests as the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) scheme is under threat as well.

The movement is showing no signs of slowing and on the 24th of November, the first day of action called after the Millbank protests, 15 separate Universities went into occupation, 6 of which are still going.

There are currently 16 Universities across the country occupied by students and at 9 o’clock last night London Metropolitan University became the 31st occupation since Goldsmiths started. That means students have been occupying their universities at a rate of one every day.

Next week will potentially see the biggest protests yet as MPs are set to vote on the rise in tuition fees in Parliament. Lib Dem Business Secretary Vince Cable, who has tabled the legislation, has said he may even abstain on the vote. Liberal Democrats were going to hold a conference this weekend in Haverstock School to decide how they are going to vote, but it has been cancelled after protests were called outside the school.

Although this student uprising lacks a single core political ideology, students have been quick to identify with other struggles on the left. Occupations in London sent delegations to the RMT and TSSA picket lines during their strike earlier this week and other trade unionists have visited the occupations to give their support.

One of the most interesting characteristics of the movement is it’s clear anti-government agenda. Protesters aren’t simply opposed to a rise in tuition fees and cuts to EMA, but to the government’s entire proposed austerity agenda and the rhetoric protesters are using on the street is to bring down the government.

Wary of a repeat of last weeks protests where protesters were ‘kettled’ by police for several hours, protesters spent much of the day running through the streets around Westminster evading police. As night fell groups of protesters from around the city rallied in Trafalgar Square before riot police moved in to break up the protest.

The protest was part of a national day of action that saw thousands of students marching through cities across the country. Council offices in Birmingham and Oxford were also occupied by protesters.

Photos: Student protesters take to the streets for third week