S. African police fire at protesting students

Police on Wednesday fired tear gas and rubber bullets at protesting students at Rhodes University in Grahamstown, Eastern Cape Province as confrontations escalated.

Five students were arrested for suspected involvement in acts of violence, police said.

There was no immediate report of injuries.

The students, most of them female, staged the protest to press their demand for management to tackle rape culture on campus. The protest led to the suspension of academic activities.

The protest came after a list naming alleged sexual assailants and alleged rapists was released anonymously on a confession site during the weekend.

Among the 11 names is a member of the Student Representative Council (SRC).

The SRC has issued a statement, saying "we fully stand behind victims of rape and sexual assault."

The opposition Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) condemned the brutal police response to the protest.

The police have attacked non-violent and unarmed students with rubber bullets and teargas, the EFF said.

"We call on the police to restrain themselves and also release the arrested students with immediate effect," the party said.

The EFF said the students are raising a legitimate concern about the failures of the society, in particular the very police, university management and the entire justice system in dealing with rape and rape culture.

"The police, before arresting these protestors, or pulling any trigger to shoot at students, must first ask themselves what have they ever done to make Grahamstown and Rhodes University a safer place against rapists and sexual offenders," the EFF said in a statement. Enditem