Thousands of UK students march in ‘Cops off Campus’ protest (VIDEO, PHOTOS)

Thousands of students gathered at the University of London on Wednesday to take part in the ‘Cops off Campus’ demonstration. Participants marched through the streets of the British capital to protest against heavy police presence on university campuses.

Demonstrators broke through the Senate House gates on campus. After failed attempts to enter the building, the protesters began their march.

The protest was sparked by the arrests of 41 students during violent clashes with police last week.

“The police tactics that we’ve seen in London and elsewhere over the last week have been extraordinary - 41 arrests, only one charge, bail conditions stopping people from gathering in public in groups of more than four. Police brutality that has never been seen on campus before,” one of the protestors told RT's Ruptly video news agency.

'No arrests' at #copsoffcampus@metpoliceuk tell @RT_com & 'an appropriate policing operation in place throughout' pic.twitter.com/huDufvqGec

— Sara Firth (@SaraFirth_RT) December 11, 2013

The demonstration gathered momentum at the High Court, where an inquest into the death of Mark Duggan - who was shot by police two years ago - was being held. Duggan was shot and killed by police on August 4, 2011 at the age of 29. This event has been widely seen as the catalyst for the 2011 England riots.