Students injured in Debreberhan University unrest

November 2 (ESAT News)–Scores of students that protested new grading guidelines at Debreberhan University earlier this week were injured after violent crackdowns by the federal police using tear gas and batons. Some students were severely beaten by the police, according university sources.

The dispute over the new grading system escalated after the university administration resort to intimidation rather than addressing the student’s legitimate demands and concerns, ESAT sources say. The students were angered with the way the university administration handled their grievances that resulted in protest rallies on the university campus.

In an exclusive interview with ESAT some of the students said that they were forced to flee for their lives. A number of students took refuges at local churches for fear of reprisal attacks while those who stained serious injuries were admitted to a nearby hospital.

A representative of the university administration, Dejen Mezgeb, told Sheger FM radio that members of federal police entered campus to put down the uprising of students but he attributed the cause of the unrest to a newly introduced national examination regulation.

He alleged that the students damaged university properties and admitted that a number of students suffered injuries. Asked how many students were injured, he said that it was hard to know as the unrest was still going on at the university.