Thursday, November 24, 2011

Scenes from Today's 'March in Defense of Education'

On Plaza Bolivar, someone carried a placard saying 'Christ, the first revolutionary.'
Thousands of students marched thru Bogotá today and rallied on Plaza Bolivar, in a 'protest in defense of education.' Students protested all across Latin America. 

Colombia's public university students had been protesting and on strike for months against a proposed reform, which protesters claimed amounted to privatization of the public university system. The government agreed to drop the proposed reforms, called the '30 Law.'


The Simon Bolivar statue, carrying the banner of the  M-19 guerrillas, who in 1985 attacked the nearby Palace of Justice. One-time M-19 leader Gustavo Petro was just elecdted mayor of Bogota. 
Two 'revolutionaries': Christ and Simon Bolivar. 



The protest turned into a party, and this couple took advantage. 


A globalized girl. 

A street person plays guitar below a line of riot police. 
On the Justice Palace's steps. 
'When the people get educated, the state gets scared.'
Nearby, a man looks thru trash as riot police walk past. 

On the plaza, this couple forgot about the protest and invented a new use for their umbrella. 

'Students on war footing.'


By Mike Ceaser, of Bogotá Bike Tours

3 comments:

Unknown said...

wow, awesome pictures!

Miguel said...

Thanks very much.

Mike

mauricio forero l said...

You have an eye for the social and political, the shots are great. Ever since I started reading your blog, I have been reconnecting to my city. I haven't been there for 15 years. I feel so guilty about that. Thank you, Mike.

Mauricio Forero.