UFS students vow to take revenge for rugby fracas

Bloemfontein – Tensions ran high at the University of Free State in Bloemfontein on Tuesday when a group of protesters attacked a student on campus. 

News24 reporter Jeanette Chabalala said she arrived on the scene shortly after the male student, who had parked his Toyota Yaris outside a residence, was chased into a block of residences by the protesting students. 

"The students were all just shouting for him to come out of the residence," said Chabalala.

Members of the Student Representative Council tried to calm the protesters.

"The group then flattened all four of the white student's tyres," Chabalala said. 

Armed police officers also tried to intervene. 

Threw stones at police

"The protesters booed and threw stones at police, claiming they failed to protect them yesterday,"  said Chabalala.

On Monday, spectators at a rugby match assaulted black protesters who had interrupted the match, demanding to be heard. The protesting group was calling for an end to outsourcing. 

"The black students told the police that they wanted to do to white students what other white people had done to them yesterday," said Chabalala. 

One of the students shouted: “Yesterday we were beaten but you did not do anything, today when we want to avenge ourselves you attack us – you are protecting the whites". The group of students beside him shouted in agreement.

"The students said they would beat any sign of a white student they would see on campus today [Tuesday]," Chabalala added.

The university had suspended all academic activities following Monday's brawl.

This article first appeared on News24 – see here.