Thousands of Chile students in fresh reform protests Published duration 26 April 2012

media caption Demonstrations turned violent on the streets in Chile.

Tens of thousands of students have taken part in protests in Chile in support of education reform.

Organisers said at least 50,000 marched in the capital Santiago on Wednesday, with police saying 25,000 attended.

Chilean students have held a series of mass protests recent months, demanding free public education for all.

Student leaders have said plans expected from conservative President Sebastian Pinera to direct extra money to education are not sufficient.

The protest in Santiago passed off largely peacefully, but some students did clash with police later in the day after a police booth was set on fire.

Smaller protests were also held in other cities, including Valparaiso and Concepcion.

"We will carry on making history... We students will not give up the fight to make education a public right," student leader Gabriel Boric told Spain's Efe news agency.

New measures

Also on Wednesday, Mr Pinera appeared on national television to outline tax reforms expected to raise around $700m (£433m), much of which will be funnelled to the country's education system.

"Thanks to these measures no young Chilean will ever again be excluded from higher education because of a lack of resources... This is something that fills me with pride," Mr Pinera said, according to Efe.

The government has also proposed measures to reduce the interest rate on student loans from 6% to 2%.

While welcoming that move, Mr Boric said it did not go far enough for the protesters.

"Education is still not being thought of as a right, but as a consumer good", he told Efe.

Correspondents say Chile's education system is one of the most privatised in the world.