Five Cambridge University students sustained injuries from security guards at the David Willetts protest this evening Cambridge Defend Education (CDE) have claimed.

Protesters alleged to have bleeding hands from being dragged by their legs across the gravel, and bruised arms from being assaulted at the doors at the end of the talk.

Richard Brodie, a PhD student at Pembroke College, said: "I felt crushed by the security guards, and couldn't breathe. It's astounding that the University would allow such violence against their students who are protesting to save education in this country."

Faith Taylor, a student at St John's College, said: "Before even asking me to move, security guards grabbed my clothing and arm.  I asked them to stop and they ignored me.  My arm is still hurting."

Willetts was set to take part in a lecture series on The Idea of the University at the University of Cambridge, but was eventually forced to leave the building after activists disrupted his speech.

Gerard Tully, CUSU President said: "David Willetts is the architect of higher education policy which is actively damaging to the quality of education that Cambridge (and other universities) offer and creates an unfair financial barrier to students from the broadest backgrounds aspiring to University. It is entirely right that students and academics protest these policies, as over 100 did today before Mr Willetts' talk. Tonight students had the opportunity and choice to hear and question Mr Willetts, in the 800-year old tradition of academic enquiry and freedom of speech that Cambridge has pioneered. Students have now been denied that opportunity, and CUSU cannot support this.

Freedom of expression is one of the founding principles of University education - no matter how objectionable the views being espoused are. Students believe in this principle and so does CUSU, so we cannot support any protest that violates it - which the disruption of David Willetts' talk tonight clearly did."