Riot police arrested 78 students of the Bulawayo Polytechnic College on Tuesday as they marched from campus toward government offices where they intended to put their grievances over tuition hikes to provincial authorities, student sources said.
The day began with a meeting on campus following which a crowd headed toward the Mhlahlandlela district and government offices there, hoping to address themselves to Bulawayo Province Governor Cain Mathema, when police descended on the crowd.
After an initial encounter with the police students later regrouped and smashed some windows at the Polytechnic and the Hotel School to protest the arrests.
Two of those arrested, Student Council President for Bulawayo Polytechnic Blessing Vava and Zimbabwe Christian Students Movement Chairman Lawrence Mashungu, were taken to the city's Luveve Police Station in the evening, student sources said.
Correspondent Netsai Mlilo of VOA's Studio 7 for Zimbabwe reported.
For more on the skirmishes between students and police, reporter Patience Rusere of VOA's Studio 7 for Zimbabwe turned to National University of Science and Technology Student Council President Clever Bere.
Bere said students will soon return to the streets and won't wait for the February 13 deadline the student movement has set for Harare to roll back tuition hikes.