Union officials, police and students faced serious questions last night as violence erupted when a group of protesters stormed the Union in protest at a speech by Eric Pickles, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government.

The protest began at 6 o'clock, when activists surrounded the Union in an attempt to catch Pickles as he entered the building.

However, he made his way in through a side door and avoided the majority of the protesters.

Protesters, who were made up of students, trade union representatives and activists from around Cambridge, then assembled at the front of the building. As Union and CUCA members looked down from the library above, trade union representatives spoke vehemently against government policy.

Most speakers were well received, but former Labour MP Daniel Zeichner, who arrived at the protest in a suit, was told "You would have done the same you c***", in response to his criticism of cuts.

Protesters carried signs with slogans such as "NHS Not For Sale", and "March Together, Strike Together".

One CUCA member said as he arrived that "I wasn't aware there was any controversy."

Just after 7.30, when Pickles' speech was scheduled to start, protesters stormed into the foyer of the Union building and began banging on drums and chanting.

Pickles, who was coming down the stairs to begin his speech, was forced back into the room that he was waiting in.

Stewards and security guards rushed to shut the doors to keep protesters from getting into the chamber, and contacted police to try and remove protesters already inside the building.

Police arrived within minutes, but protesters refused to listen to them – choosing instead to continue to drum and shout.

At one point, police had to intervene to stop aggression by security staff. One protester was also seen to strike a security guard on the back of the head.

Security guards began forcibly evicting the protesters from the foyer. Small scuffles followed, which featured violent behaviour by both security and protesters.

A police officer was heard telling security that he would "say that all the force [they] used was reasonable."

Varsity spoke to one of the lead protestors responsible for organising the gathering about his motivations:

“Eric Pickles, as the Secretary of State for Communities [and Local Government], has presided over all the local council cuts that we have seen throughout the country.

“This is massively important for the working people of this country. These local cuts are really where [the Budget] is being felt.

The anonymous activist was particularly riled by the Dale Farm eviction, describing the forced removal of 400 gypsies and travellers from their established homes as “flagrant racism” that is “absolutely horrific.”

“What we need is communities coming together and actually making the decisions. 'Big Society' is actually about delegitimising and raising onto a false pedestal this non-existent idea that communities can do things without any money.

"What we’re trying to tell [local councils] is that, actually, you do have an option – you can refuse your budget; you can resign as a councillor.”

Read how Varsity challenged Pickles on the presence of protestors here.