At least 20 people have been arrested as thousands of students clashed with riot police in Santiago, Chile after a rally in support of education reform turned violent.

­Police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse hooded youths that started throwing objects filled with paint at police and turned over demarcation barricades. Earlier, thousands of high school and university students had come together to march in support of educational reform, asking Chile's President Sebastian Pinera to consider their demands ahead of 2013's national budget consolidation.On Wednesday, Pinera's government introduced a law that cut the interest rate of student loans from six per cent to two per cent, but activists said it was not enough. One of the main demands of the crowd is for the government to stop funding private education, arguing that the country’s educational system fails families whose children attend poor quality public schools. The government is expected to raise $1 billion in taxes for education, which students and their advocates say is still not enough.Students clash with riot police during a protest demanding to Chilean President Sebastian Pinera's government to improve public education quality in Santiago.(AFP Photo / Martin Bernetti) ­Chilean students clash with riot police during a protest demanding to Chilean President Sebastian Pinera's government to improve the public education quality in Santiago.(AFP Photo / Claudio Santana) ­Students clash with riot police during a protest demanding to Chilean President Sebastian Pinera's government to improve public education quality in Santiago.(AFP Photo / Martin Bernetti) ­Riot police and students demanding to Chilean President Sebastian Pinera's government to improve public education quality clash in Santiago.(AFP Photo / Martin Bernetti) ­Chilean students clash with riot police during a protest demanding to Chilean President Sebastian Pinera's government to improve the public education quality in Santiago.(AFP Photo / Claudio Santana) ­A Chilean student is arrested by riot policemen during a protest demanding to Chilean President Sebastian Pinera's government to improve public education quality in Santiago.(AFP Photo / Claudio Santana) ­Chilean students clash with riot police during a protest demanding to Chilean President Sebastian Pinera's government to improve the public education quality in Santiago.(AFP Photo / Claudio Santana)