Students have called for the University of London's vice-chancellor to quit as they hit out at "mass arrests and missing teeth" during months of unrest on campus.
The furious students are planning a huge demonstration later this month after branding university bosses “cowardly” and “brutal” for their response to protests about changes to the structure of their students’ union.
In a statement on a Facebook page set up to promote the march they called for Sir Adrian Smith to quit as vice-chancellor.
“The University of London management have lost all legitimacy," it said.
“Mass arrests, missing teeth and blood on the streets: as Sir Adrian and the other University of London managers force through their vision for higher education, the past six months have clarified that the only argument they can present to effective opposition is that of police brutality.”
The call comes after students complained of being punched and dragged to the ground by their hair as police broke up protests in December. A Scotland Yard spokesman described the police reaction to the demonstrations as "appropriate", as 41 students were arrested.
In a letter to university staff after the protests, Sir Adrian accused students of creating "a situation which had the singular purpose of requiring a police presence.”
The students were demonstrating against what they say amounts to the planned closure of the University of London Union (ULU), as well as campaigning for sick pay, holiday pay and pensions for contract staff.
Michael Chessum, ULU’s President, told the Standard the union would be holding a “mass meeting” to decide whether to throw its support behind the calls for the resignation of university bosses.
“We definitely will march because of the way they have reacted to protests and behaved really quite brutally,” he added.
A University of London spokesman declined to comment on calls for bosses to resign their posts, but said: “The university is always happy to enter into a proper debate and be held to account.”
The demonstration is due to take place at the University of London Union on February 28.
