News In Brief
| Johannesburg
Cross section of students protests S. African policies
About 1,500 students of all races boycotted classes at South Africa's largest university here Wednesday and held a rally to protest what they say are injustices in the country's segregated education system.
The peaceful demonstration at Witwatersrand University was held one day before a holiday marking the country's 23rd anniversary as a republic since its secession from the British Commonwealth.
Police kept a low profile and made no attempt to stop the rally, which could have been deemed illegal under South African laws banning outdoor political gatherings.
Grievances about black schools voiced by student leaders included an unequal share of government resources, poorly qualified teachers, corporal punishment, and detention.
