The Students' Final Protest?

In what may turn out to be the university students' final protest - of this season - thousands of university students marched down Avenida Septima to Plaza Bolivar today in protest against the government's proposed public university reform, called Ley 30, which would allow private financing of public universities.

I say that today's protests may have been a last blast because today's El Tiempo headline reported that the president had offered to withdraw the Ley 30. But, last blast or not, the protesters clearly had a blast.

The protest march attracted street vendors, street entertainers and a variety of other leftist causes.

The protest climaxed soggily but happily in the Plaza Bolivar.

Near the National Park, students wait to enter Seventh Ave. They need to turn their signs around, tho. 

A line of anti-riot police wait.

While the protesters approached, these kids took advantage of the empty streets to play ball.

!No to privatization of education!

Thanks to the protesters, the street was cleared of cars.

Protesting with free hugs. 

Embracing The Man: These girls even hugged the riot police, who didn't appear to mind. 

This man, with his dancing doll, entertained marchers for a few coins.

Sexy legs against the 30 Law. 

Any protesters want to rent cell phone time?

The General Confederation of Workers joined in, but had signs to spare.

A local government building on Seventh Ave., still decorated by paint bombs from the last protest march. 

An impromptu memorial on Seventh Ave. for 'victims of state violence.'

Another flood of marchers came down 26th St. 

This guy always appears a protest marches to lobby for communist Cuba. 

EcoPetrol, the government oil company, got a visit from protesters. 

This supermarket, a capitalist icon, got paint-bombed. 

A woman in traditional dress dances in protest. Notice the anti-riot tank behind her. 

Go Veg! These folks took advantage of the protest to push vegetarianism. 

These vendors came prepared with horns for sale to the protesters. 

Masked protesters against the educational funding agency. 

The protest climaxed in the rain on Plaza Bolivar, where the Christmas tree framework was transformed into a  platform for posters. 

By Mike Ceaser, of Bogotá Bike Tours