In response to this reform, to resist privatization of education and imposition of tuition fees there were strikes in Antioquia, Cartagena, Baranquilla, and Cacua Valley. In Sucre students occupied University buildings with tents and makeshift kitchens and held die-ins and night marches to block major highways. In Bogota students staged a massive protest that created sufficient chaos to shut down the transport system “Transmilenio.” Across the country 35 universities were shut down for five weeks, and protest graffiti splayed across city walls. Some of their most creative tactics included hug-a-thons where students hugged police officers to contrast violent confrontations, kiss-a-thons where students blocked traffic while kissing and embracing one another, flash-mobs in public consumer spaces, and placement of open bottles of canelazos (A beverage traditionally drunken around a fire to bring friends together to share stories in order to incite community dialogue).
The government justified police brutality against student protestors and dehumanized victims by claiming the protests were infiltrated by drug gang lords who did not actually represent the desires of the people. With newly funded weaponry from the United States, immense violence was inflicted upon students. However, students countered this by setting up a system of checks and balances within their protests where as soon as a threat was posed against police a brigade of students would line up to protect them. They also painted police officers shields to engage in non-violent confrontation. Additionally, they gained widespread support from the Colombian Federation of Educators (FECODE), the United Workers Central of Colombia (CUT), and the students of the private universities, organized in the FEU-UNIVERSIDADES PRIVADAS.
Student leaders continuously turned down offers to meet with the minister of education exclaiming they would not begin dialogue until the law was rescinded. Finally, they set an ultimatum date of November 10th by which the government would have to rescind the law or face closure via massive blockage by a united worker/student/ professor front of all major highways. This posed a real threat, as the coordination of protests via social media became a successful tool for calling on the masses. Their movement was successful and as reported by the National Alternative Education Board: “there were three conditions – first, that this reform package was withdrawn; second, that the government showed a willingness to build a new reform package, and lastly that there were guarantees regarding finishing the semester. All this [was] accepted by the government.”
Further Resources:
http://colombiareports.co/colombias-students-win-their-battle-education-reform-thrown-out/
The government justified police brutality against student protestors and dehumanized victims by claiming the protests were infiltrated by drug gang lords who did not actually represent the desires of the people. With newly funded weaponry from the United States, immense violence was inflicted upon students. However, students countered this by setting up a system of checks and balances within their protests where as soon as a threat was posed against police a brigade of students would line up to protect them. They also painted police officers shields to engage in non-violent confrontation. Additionally, they gained widespread support from the Colombian Federation of Educators (FECODE), the United Workers Central of Colombia (CUT), and the students of the private universities, organized in the FEU-UNIVERSIDADES PRIVADAS.
Student leaders continuously turned down offers to meet with the minister of education exclaiming they would not begin dialogue until the law was rescinded. Finally, they set an ultimatum date of November 10th by which the government would have to rescind the law or face closure via massive blockage by a united worker/student/ professor front of all major highways. This posed a real threat, as the coordination of protests via social media became a successful tool for calling on the masses. Their movement was successful and as reported by the National Alternative Education Board: “there were three conditions – first, that this reform package was withdrawn; second, that the government showed a willingness to build a new reform package, and lastly that there were guarantees regarding finishing the semester. All this [was] accepted by the government.”
Further Resources:
- Link to Law 30 (in Spanish): http://www.mineducacion.gov.co/1621/articles-85860_archivo_pdf.pdf
- More on Colombia demonstrations: https://vamoscaminando.wordpress.com/2012/01/04/colombia-students-organize-against-law-30
- https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2011/10/colo-o29.html
- http://www.demotix.com/news/870992/colombian-students-protest-against-higher-education-reform-bogota#media-870925
- http://colombiareports.co/student-protests-shut-down-colombias-capital/
- http://upsidedownworld.org/main/colombia-archives-61/3253-colombian-students-mobilise-against-education-reforms
http://colombiareports.co/colombias-students-win-their-battle-education-reform-thrown-out/