WATCH: Police ‘open fire’ on Rhodes University students

Police allegedly opened fire on protesting students at the Rhodes University campus in Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, on Friday. Multiple sources reported that students were protesting near a graduation venue when security officials, who they believe were police, stepped in and allegedly opened fire. One protester told The Citizen that students ran from the scene, while others were dragged to police vans. Another said that the violence happened in front of graduation guests, while the ceremony continued. A video of the incident was shared on social media, but has not been independently verified by The Citizen. Any response from police on the shooting will be included once received. In a video, smoke can be seen as students run in several directions. One student falls down, only to be picked up by police. In the opposite direction, two students can be seen being led into a van. unarmed Rhodes University students are being shot at by SAPS right now ! some have been detained, others are injured . ‼️‼️‼️ pic.twitter.com/mbzoyMt9oH – maka’Sponge (@LWavezzz) October 2, 2026 Other videos show students being put into police vans. A news alert, shared on campus, said: “At 8:45 a.m., shots were fired both as a warning and at students. “Two students were arrested, and the number is consistently increasing. “The police are currently chasing students down from the monument while the graduation ceremony continues inside.” It said the number of harmed and arrested students is unknown. A later alert said police had called for reinforcements, and it was unclear if the ammunition used was rubber bullets or live. Images purportedly from the scene show rubber bullet casings The university has not yet commented on the incident. A court order was reportedly issued to stop students from protesting on campus, sparking the protest. Students on campus told The Citizen that police had been patrolling the campus on Friday prior to the alleged shooting. This is Rhodes University early hours of today. Ohh Hector 50 years later black students are still fighting for an inclusive education system pic.twitter.com/bSpIuDzwPL— alungile.m (@alungile619) October 2, 2026 Protests on campus Hundreds of students shut down academic activities at the university this week over a new debt recovery plan, which student leaders claim will punish those from disadvantaged backgrounds. The university has reportedly accumulated a total debt of R853 million since September 2026 and earlier this month told self-funded undergraduate students that they will need to settle at least 50% of their outstanding debt before they can register for next year. Furthermore, self-funded students must sign an Acknowledgement of Debt and Agreement to Pay by Instalments (AoDAPI). This agreement requires students to pay at least R3000 per month to settle their debt, and they are rejecting it. “All students in debt to the University, except for those funded by the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (Nsfas), are required to approach an institution that provides student loans, for example, Fundi, Student Hero or a financial institution, to secure a student loan,” said the notice. Should a student lose funding during the academic year for reasons such as poor academic performance, the student will be considered self-funded. The new rules have been challenged by the university’s Student Representative Council, which declared a shutdown on Tuesday. Their protest ran through the week. Students going hungry The university usually provides food vouchers during student protests, but because of the circumstances, these were not given to on-campus students. The SRC had to use its personal funds to feed those in need. This is a developing story