Chile students protest corruption, demand education reform

Thousands of students marched through the streets of Chile's capital to protest recent corruption scandals and to complain about delays in a promised education overhaul.
Police said about 20,000 people took part, while student organizers estimated the crowd at about 150,000. Yesterday's gathering was largely peaceful, but violence broke out at the end when small bands of hooded protesters threw rocks and gasoline bombs at police. At least one officer was injured.
Past student marches focused on pressuring President Michelle Bachelet to fulfill her campaign promise of education reform. Students now say they are fed up waiting for changes and are disgusted by a series of corruption scandals involving politicians and the business elite.

The scandals include a controversy over a bank loan involving Bachelet's son and campaign financing involving right-wing politicians and a prominent financial company. Another tax-related election-financing scandal at Chilean SQM mining company forced the resignation of its chief executive.
"We need to protest against this caste of corrupt politicians and businessmen who are involved and who are not ruling for a majority, and instead they're cooking up the reforms behind four walls," said Aurora Isidora Rozas, a spokeswoman for the coordinating assembly of high school students.
Students waved banners demanding changes in an education system characterized by poor public schools, expensive private universities and unprepared teachers.