Chilean students in education demo get tear-gassed

Chilean student protesters covering their faces after police fired tear gas during a clash in Santiago de Chile on Thursday. Thousands of students took to the streets in the capital and other cities in Chile to denounce a proposed education overhaul
PHOTO: EUROPEAN PRESSPHOTO AGENCY

Chilean student protesters covering their faces after police fired tear gas during a clash in Santiago de Chile on Thursday.

Thousands of students took to the streets in the capital and other cities in Chile to denounce a proposed education overhaul that they say does not go far enough to correct injustices.

President Michelle Bachelet pledged during her 2013 election campaign to make college free, and said the initial phase would aid 70 per cent of the poorest students.

But a sluggish economy led the government to retreat from the target, and implementation of the plan has been rocky.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on August 06, 2016, with the headline Chilean students in education demo get tear-gassed. Subscribe