Estimates are about 10,000 student protesters are out today, angry at college tuition increases, threefold, bring fees to the equivalent of $14,000 per year.

By mid-afternoon the crowds were smaller than the 50,000 or so who turned out two weeks ago, who turned much more violent.

And the police presence was much greater today.  Security in London was really caught off guard last time.  Crowds stormed Conservative Party headquarters, broke in and caused hundreds of thousands of dollars of damage.

One man was arrested and charged for hurling a fire extinguisher off a roof, during the protests last time.  This time, so far they’ve just smashed the windshield of a police van.  Two police officers have been injured.

Britain’s Education Secretary Michael Gove lashed out, in a way, at the media, saying it gives the violent protesters the “oxygen of publicity”.

He said that the lesson these protesters have learned is if you destroy property you attract the attention of the media.

He also said that the new scheme to raise fees will at the same time help create funds to help poorer students afford the cost of university.

The anger of the students is now channeled towards anything associated with government, but the original target of emotion was Liberal Democrat Nick Clegg who is also Deputy Prime Minister, a key part of Britain’s coalition government.  The Lib Dems in opposition had promised not to increase tuition fees but now as part of the coalition with the Conservatives, and facing a huge deficit, they have had to sign on to these hikes.

Again, as we have seen, that anger now turned at any symbols of government.