Police pepper-spray angry protesting students in California

Campus police in the US state of California have pepper-sprayed at least 30 Santa Monica College students while they were protesting against rising tuition fees.The angry students, chanting "No cuts, no fees, education should be free” outside a trustees meeting on Tuesday evening, got angry and tried to push their way to the building after only a handful of them were allowed into the meeting room. They were also enraged by the fact that their request to move the meeting to a larger venue was denied. They were later confronted by the police forces who were called in to "secure the perimeter." Several students were overcome when pepper spray was released just outside the meeting room as officers were trying to break up the crowd. At least, two people who got injured were taken to a nearby hospital. The students were upset over a new two-tier pricing plan. The program would offer high-demand core courses for about $200 per unit during the upcoming summer session. The classes would be offered along with many of the same state-funded courses, which are set at $46 per unit. Campus officials argue that the new plan would provide students an option of paying more for a guaranteed spot in the classes they need and so will allow them to transfer and graduate more quickly. The move has raised questions about whether the offered plan would create two tiers of students in a system meant to make education accessible to everyone.