Johannesburg – Four school pupils have been taken to hospital after being attacked by shop owners whose businesses were looted during protests in Johannesburg’s central business district, metro police said on Wednesday.”Four male learners assaulted by shopkeepers, who retaliated [to looting], were taken to hospital,” said Chief Superintendent Wayne Minnaar said.A large group of pupils began protesting in Albertina Sisulu and Eloff streets around 14:00, Minnaar said.They looted shops and picked up hawkers’ stands and threw them to the ground. The majority of the group was standing in front of the education department building.Minnaar said there had been reports of two other groups of pupils protesting in Hillbrow and Fordsburg. He could not confirm if the three groups were linked to each other. The pupils were dressed in different uniforms.He advised motorists in the CBD to avoid the streets and use Marshall Street as an alternative.No permission had been granted for the protest, Minnaar said. Metro officials were monitoring the situation.It was unclear what the protest was about.