AceShowbiz - Outspoken rapper M.I.A. has risked controversy on her return to her native U.K. after praising rioters who attacked the headquarters of Prime Minister David Cameron's Conservative party last week. Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets of London on Wednesday, November 10 to protest against plans to increase student tuition fees as part of a swathe of recession-busting cuts announced by Britain's new coalition government.

The march ended in violence when several protesters clashed with cops outside the Conservative party's main offices, smashing their way through the glass doors and trashing the lobby. Now M.I.A. - who is based in Los Angeles but is currently on tour in the U.K. - has waded into the controversy, posting a photo of one hooded rioter on her Twitter.com page and branding him "My hero".

But the remark has drawn criticism from some fans, with one insisting the "Paper Planes" hitmaker is "unreasonable" and another writing: "R u serious! There is nothing wrong with protesting but how is breaking windows and causing harm 2 innocent people a good thing."