Chilean students set buses ablaze, clash with police demanding reforms
- 12 years ago
STORY: Chilean set three buses ablaze and clashed with police in Santiago on Wednesday, continuing their calls for education reform.
In scenes that have become commonplace over the past year, police used water cannons and tear gas in an attempt to disperse protesters.
Masked protesters forced passengers from the buses and set them on fire. Police used water cannons to battle the blazes while volunteer fire-fighters struggled to reach the scene due to the road blockades.
According to media reports, some 5,000 protesters organized by the Coordinated Assembly of Secondary Students took to the streets.
Chile's students have led regular protests calling for education reform for over a year. The students say they are frustrated at what they say is the government's failure to deliver an adequate response to their demands.
In Chile tuition costs are among the world's highest. A report by Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development said Chilean households pay up to 75 percent of education costs, saddling many with high interest loans.
In scenes that have become commonplace over the past year, police used water cannons and tear gas in an attempt to disperse protesters.
Masked protesters forced passengers from the buses and set them on fire. Police used water cannons to battle the blazes while volunteer fire-fighters struggled to reach the scene due to the road blockades.
According to media reports, some 5,000 protesters organized by the Coordinated Assembly of Secondary Students took to the streets.
Chile's students have led regular protests calling for education reform for over a year. The students say they are frustrated at what they say is the government's failure to deliver an adequate response to their demands.
In Chile tuition costs are among the world's highest. A report by Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development said Chilean households pay up to 75 percent of education costs, saddling many with high interest loans.