The demonstration strayed from its path and came to a pause at the base of a nine-storey office block, half-a-mile from the Houses of Parliament. Many in the crowd of 50,000 students did not know the building’s significance. A few made their way past the thin line of police officers and entered the foyer, throwing things about and making a mess of its marbled interior.
Those without the bravado to cross the threshold – most of us – cheered them on, reaching a triumphant pitch when a group appeared on the roof and unfurled a red banner. By this point someone next to me had noticed a sign that listed the building’s occupants: oh, so that’s what it is – the ruling party’s headquarters!
