Lots of of hundreds took to the streets in cities throughout Colombia in a mass strike towards the federal government of President Ivan Duque. Whereas largely peaceable, clashes with riot police broke out as a number of the protests dispersed.
Sparked by basic dissatisfaction with authorities insurance policies, together with a latest proposal to chop pensions, some 207,000 Colombians joined the huge demonstrations on Thursday, in line with Inside Minister Nancy Patricia Gutierrez.
COLOMBIA! ❤️
Tens of hundreds throughout Colombia have taken to the streets to protest the federal government of Ivan Duque. Colombia is the most recent Andean nation to have mass mobilizations towards their authorities in latest months.#ParoNacional #Colombia #ColombiaProtests pic.twitter.com/KFTxPhgQ0p
— LeftVoice (@left_voice) November 21, 2019
With protesters chanting anti-Duque slogans and carrying brilliant banners and nationwide flags, the marches largely passed off with out incident, nevertheless because the occasion in Bogota got here to an in depth, folks described as “hooligans” by some witnesses initiated confrontations with police, prompting them to reply with tear gasoline, water cannons and billy golf equipment. A few of the clashes have been captured on video.
▶️ Protests continued in Colombian capital Bogota, Thursday, Nov. 21, as college students clashed with police.
? College students are demanding the federal government preserve minimal wages for younger folks and the common proper to a pension. https://t.co/MOUDJ75jpE pic.twitter.com/cW1XwzUm9i
— The Voice of America (@VOANews) November 21, 2019
Estos son los que salieron a protegernos? @IvanDuque , @EnriquePenalosa está fue su orden? pic.twitter.com/MPVgOOPTk9
— Daniel Montenegro (@danfel22) November 21, 2019
Riot police have been additionally seen utilizing tear gasoline on demonstrators outdoors of the Colombian legislature in Bogota’s Bolivar Sq..
Video taken from inside Colombia’s Congress because the protest #21NoviembreParoNacional #21N turns violent with masked protesters in confrontation with the police. pic.twitter.com/JmXXZow1gn
— THE CITY PAPER (@citypaperbogota) November 21, 2019
An indication within the metropolis of Cali that drew over 20,000 protesters additionally resulted in minor clashes close to an area college, after which town authorities declared a brief curfew.
“Greater than 20,000 folks have taken to the streets of Cali to help the [National Strike] peacefully,” Cali’s Mayor’s Workplace stated in a tweet, however singled out “the few misfits who determined to [protest] violently.”
Más de 20 000 personas han salido a las calles de Cali a apoyar el #ParoNacional de forma pacífica, con respeto y en paz. Estamos trabajando para garantizar ese derecho basic, pese a los pocos desadaptados que decidieron hacerlo con violencia. pic.twitter.com/fO9v5xEtlg
— Alcaldía de Cali (@AlcaldiaDeCali) November 21, 2019
Some observers on-line have advised the violent protesters have been undercover “infiltrators” despatched by the federal government fire up bother and set off a police crackdown, although to this point little proof has been supplied to help that declare.
A large police presence was seen within the streets of some cities within the lead-up to the strike, together with armor-clad riot officers and helicopters.
THREAD: Police put together as Colombia braces for its largest protests in years on Thursday.
Labor unions, college students and indigenous teams are main a nationwide strike aimed on the deeply unpopular President Ivan Duque https://t.co/GfAiGMXh9P pic.twitter.com/GL6lccUd2C
— Bloomberg TicToc (@tictoc) November 21, 2019
The protesters – who embody college students, union employees and indigenous teams – additionally demanded that minimal wages be held at their present stage, and voiced anger over the sluggish rollout of a 2016 peace take care of leftist guerrilla group FARC, which has been at battle with the Colombian authorities because the 1960s.
Since taking workplace in August, President Duque’s approval score has steadily declined to its present stage of 26 p.c, whereas a ballot in June confirmed 81 p.c disapproval from youthful Colombians aged 18 to 24, indicating his faltering help.
Subscribe to RT e-newsletter to get tales the mainstream media received’t let you know.
