'Excessive' Tear Gas, Water Cannons Used in Chilean Students' Latest March

Riot policemen arrest a student protester during a protest against the government to demand changes in the public state education in Santiago, September 27, 2012. (REUTERS/Ivan Alvarado)

'Excessive' Tear Gas, Water Cannons Used in Chilean Students' Latest March

Clashes broke out in Chile's capital on Thursday between protesters and police as students continued their demands for education reform.

The march in Santiago was the latest demonstration in a movement begun May of 2011 calling for free, quality schooling for all and denouncing the privatization of education.

Video from Reuters shows water cannons and what appear to be rubber bullets being targeted at protesters. Chile's teleSUR reports that at least 100 protesters were detained.

"Excessive amounts of tear gas and water cannons were used. There were too many police here today," humans rights observer Elisa Disqueto told The Santiago Times.

Javiera Campos Menendez, another human rights observer, agreed, telling the Santiago Times, "(There was) very little respect for human rights today. We have just witnessed three completely illegal arrests of protesters for no motive," she said.

TeleSUR has video (in Spanish with English subtitles):

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