Students from across the United Kingdom took part in a dignified demonstration today against rising tuition fees and the privatisation of education.

A number of trade unions and political organisations, in addition to school pupils and graduates supported the students and police estimate that at the demonstration’s peak there were 3,000 present.

Around 400 people are still protesting following a rally at London Wall organiesd by the National Campaign against Fees and Cuts.

There were 4,000 Metropolitan Police officers deployed to contain the protest, equipped with riot shields, helmets and batons.

Demonstrators marched displaying slogans such as, ‘I wish my girlfriend was as easy as Nick Clegg’; ‘Education for the masses not just for the ruling classes’ and ‘Cameron, how much did you pay when you went to Oxford.’

Demonstrators congregated outside the University of London Union (ULU) at midday and proceeded to march to London Wall at Moorgate.

Protestors were contained at the end of the march for a short period of time before being allowed to leave.

There remains a large police presence in central London.

The demonstration lasted for a total of four hours and a total of 20 arrests were made.

130 students from the University of Edinburgh attended the march along with students from the Universities of St Andrews, Glasgow and Aberdeen.

Speaking to The Student after the demonstration, Edinburgh University Students’ Association Vice President of Academic Affairs Mike Williamson said he was “very happy” with the peaceful nature of the protest.

However, he deemed police conduct as unnecessarily heavy handed given the “partylike” atmosphere and felt there was little need for the restrictions on movement which were placed.

There will be full coverage of the protests in next week's edition of The Student.