Chile students clash with Bachelet's gov

[Tekun]

Chile students clash with police

Police used teargas and water cannons to break up the protests
Students in the Chilean capital, Santiago, have clashed with police while taking part in protests over education reforms.
At least 160 people were arrested during the second nationwide strike by secondary school students in a week.

The government has called the strike unnecessary after agreeing to some demands such as increased funding and free transport for some students.

But students leaders say the deal does not meet their key demands.

While the government has offered extra school funding it says it cannot give free bus passes to all - a key demand.

The students also want a complete overhaul of an education system which they say is under-resourced and leads to huge disparities between public and private schools.

They are also calling for a university entrance exam fee to be waived.

Growing support

Support for the secondary school students has been gathering apace, with university students and unions also giving their backing.

More than one million people have joined Monday's strike.


The police have been accused of heavy-handed tactics

Organisers had called for peaceful action, but during the demonstrations, a number of protesters began looting stores in Santiago's main shopping district, prompting police to use water cannon and tear gas.

Chile last week saw its biggest student protests in decades as more than 500,000 pupils demonstrated.

There were violent scenes last Tuesday when riot police clashed with some of the students and several hundred people were arrested.

Television footage of young people being beaten by the security forces brought an outraged reaction from many parents and subsequently led President Michelle Bachelet to fire the head of the riot police.

President Bachelet, who took office in March and is facing her biggest political test so far, has offered free passes and a waiver of exam fees for the poorest students.


http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/5049540.stm



Let's see how this so-called "socialist" will handle this problem
Will she appease the students or will she side with the bourgeoisie which control the schools?

IMO, this demonstrates the unity of Chile's students when confronted by an injustice
Now if only they could adopt the socialist cause...

[WUOrevolt]

I read somewhere that she was sympathetic to the students cause.

[Tekun]

Originally posted by [email protected] 6 2006, 02:26 AM
I read somewhere that she was sympathetic to the students cause.
She is to a certain degree
Her government has agreed to certain demands, on their terms
In fact, I read that one of her daughters was involved in the protests

However, being sympathetic is different from agreeing with them
This is most noticeable by the fact that she has done nothing to punish the police after seeing their abuse and brutality against the students (mostly HS students)
She might be sympathetic, but the fact that she tries to suppress their political activities by force, gives u a good idea of her political allies
In addition, the students have rejected her government's ridiculous proposals

I fail to see how ppl still identify her as a "socialist"

[violencia.Proletariat]

A socialist that keeps a fascist era education program :lol:

[The Grey Blur]

I doubt anyone on this board has ever identified her as a Socialist ;)

Still, she's part of a postitive leftist trend in South America and the student demonstrations are another part of this trend, in my opinion

[drain.you]

This started a couple of days ago, they then went into talks but seems they not working.
Hope the students get what they need.