Birzeit University students protest fees

The Student Council of Birzeit University near Ramallah shut down the campus on Thursday in protest over tuition fees. Students say they are protesting the university's refusal to allow students from low-income families to pay their fees in installments. Dozens of students have been unable to enroll for the summer semester because they couldn't afford university fees. Witnesses said students burned tires at the entrance to the university and clashes erupted with security guards. The guards attacked the council's director Kamal Abu Assaf after students tried to close the university's gates, onlookers said.