“We are going to arm ourselves to finish off these students”: the serious threat of a man during a march in Medellín

During the march that took place this November 21 in Medellín, A man verbally confronted the students who were walking along one of the streets of the Antioquia capital and who were commemorating the 21N.

In the video that is circulating on social networks, a man suggests that citizens should arm themselves to eliminate and kill the protesters who were passing through the place at that time.

This is the video that circulates on social networks:

“Civilians are going to arm ourselves to finish off these cheap students; students who neither study nor contribute to the house “, the man yelled while being recorded.

In the video that was shared on Twitter, the subject can also be heard saying that the protesters were damaging Colombia’s economy, they were only to vandalize the streets.

Clashes in Bogotá

In the middle of a demonstration that was taking place on Calle 26 with Carrera 30, where several citizens tried to block roads, an act of vandalism occurred.

Under the bridge of the 26, a police patrol was destroyed by a group of hooded men who with different objects broke the windows of the vehicle. The situation was recorded on video and you can see how the coexistence managers of the Mayor’s Office of Bogotá tried to stop the action of the vandals.

Very close to this place, minutes later another act of violence occurred, this time against a uniformed man who was riding his motorcycle. As reported by Blu Radio, several protesters attacked a policeman who was patrolling the area. Young people with their faces covered hit the motorcycle that was already lying on the avenue with their skateboards.

In addition, a confrontation between Esmad and hooded men caused an accident between a truck and a private car, on 26th Street, near the National University.

When the drivers wanted to escape the gases thrown by the uniformed, a truck rear-ended a private vehicle.

Read: Video: hooded men destroy a Police patrol amid demonstrations in Bogotá

How were the marches last Thursday?

Hundreds of people took to the streets last Thursday to demand a change of course from the government of Iván Duque, a year after the massive protests against him that will mark a milestone in the country.

Adherence was lower than in previous calls and the rain scared off protesters in Bogotá, the epicenter of the mobilizations. In the other cities, participation was low.

Trade unionists, students, teachers, doctors, ex-FARC guerrillas and government opponents marched under colorful slogans and protected with masks amid the pandemic.

In the capital there were peaceful concentrations in different points and people then walked towards the central Plaza de Bolívar, neighbor of the presidential headquarters.

We want “(Duque) to attend to the indigenous, the peasants, the working-class sectors of the country, to comply with the pacts signed with the students (…) that the minimum requests be met!” , a 65-year-old educator, who wore a poncho with the Colombian flag.

The claims range from rejection of the upsurge in violence in remote areas of the country to criticism of the conservative government’s policies. A group of health workers advanced towards the center of the capital with cardboard in the shape of a coffin hung around their necks.

“We are under forms of illegal contracting, outsourced, precarious (…) we do not have biosecurity and protection (…) we continue to buy it out of pocket”, lamented the psychiatrist Carolina Corcho, 36 years old.

Massive anti-government protests began in November 2019 with rivers of people mobilizing daily in the biggest popular challenge a Colombian government has faced since the 1970s.