FIREMEN FIGHTING THE FIRE; POLICE AND WATER TRUCK NEAR THE FACULTY OF ECONOMICS; POLICE AT ENTRANCE TO LAW FACULTY.




Initials RE/VS/AE/OS



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Background: PART OF MADRID UNIVERSITY WAS BADLY DAMAGED BY FIRE ON SATURDAY FOLLOWING DAY OF RIOTING IN WHICH 150 STUDENTS WERE DETAINED AND THREE FACULTIES CLOSED. TWELVE FIRE ENGINEERS WERE CALLED TO THE BLAZE WHICH DESTROYED A LECTURE HALL AND MOST OF THE ROOF OF MADRID'S OLD UNIVERSITY BUILDING IN THE CITY CENTRE.

THE DAMAGED BUILDING STANDS ABOUT TWO MILES (THREE KILOMETRES) FROM THE MODERN CAMPUS WHERE EARLIER STUDENTS HAD HURLED MOLOTOV COCKTAILS AT POLICE AND PELTED THEM WITH STONES AND TOMATOES IN THE WORST RIOTING SINCE THE UNIVERSITY RE-OPENED LAST MONTH. THE STUDENTS WERE PROTESTING AT THE OCCUPATION OF THE UNIVERSITY FOR THE PAST FEW WEEKS BY THE POLICE AND BY TOUGH ACTION AGAINST SEVERAL STUDENT LEADERS. MANY OF THE LEADERS ARE MEMBERS OF A BANNED LEFT WING STUDENTS UNION.

THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE WAS NOT IMMEDIATELY KNOWN BUT EYE WITNESSES SAID POLICE ARRESTED THREE STUDENTS AT THE OLD UNIVERSITY SHORTLY AFTER IT BROKE OUT. ABOUT 300 STUDENTS DETAINED AFTER THE RIOTS WERE RELEASED AFTER QUESTIONING.