Two students were arrested last night at UCD for public order offences ata protest as Finance Minister Brian Lenihan was due to chair a lecture at the college.
The number of students involved in the protest reached about 150.
More than 20 Gardai were on Duty as well as a number of private security officers at the time of the arrests.
Students who were part of the campaign group, Free Education fo Everyone, blocked the vehicle access to the building where Mr Lenihan was due to attend the function.
Fee is a campaign group, established by students and workers in UCD to fight againts the increase in the registration fee, cutbacks and the proposed reintroduction of third level fees.
In last week’s budget, Minister Lenihan announced a 67% increase in the college registration fee and below inflation increases in the education budget.
Before the event took place yesterday, FEE campaign spokesperson, Julian Brophy said:’ As long as members of government pursue policies which would block students access education, we will block their access to our campus.
‘The 67% increase in the registration fee is an attempt to sneak in fees through the back door, and belittles the rhetoric that only the rich would be targetted to fund education.’
In 2002, UCD students successfully blockaded Noel Dempsey inside the Vetinary Sciences Centre in the Belfield campus, for over two hours, in response to the ministers announcement that he was going to reintroduce tuition fees.
The grouo recently forced Minister of State, Martin Mansergh, to withdraw from attending a UCD Law Society debate. They also successfully conducted a banner-drop on the N11 flyover outside the campus.
UCD is the largest university in Ireland with over 22,000 students.