A meeting at Wellington's Victoria University to consider increasing course fees was halted yesterday after students threw eggs and fought with security staff.
About 30 protesters crowded the public gallery of the university's council chambers, shouting slogans against a proposed 5 percent increase, The Dominion Post reported.
They were also angered by a move to raise the Student Services Levy, which funds counselling, financial support, and career advice, from $251 to $510.
As university vice-chancellor Pat Walsh tried to explain the reasons behind the proposed increase, he was drowned out by chants demanding free education.
Scuffles then broke out with security guards who tried to eject the protesters
Chancellor Tim Beaglehole issued two warnings to the students, before closing the meeting to the public and moving to a private room.
The council then voted for the 5 percent rise, amounting to an extra $192 a year for a humanities undergraduate student. The student levy will also rise to $510 for local students and $326 for distance students.
