Colombia: videos show night of police violence in one Bogota neighbourhood

Images taken by residents of the Policarpa neighbourhood in Bogotá, Colombia, November 21, 2019.

COLOMBIA / DEMONSTRATIONS - 11/29/2019


Police officers hit people, smashed windows and fired shots in the middle of the street in the Policarpa neighbourhood in Bogotá on the evening of November 21, a day of national strikes. The accounts given by eyewitnesses line up with the amateur videos filmed at the scene. A week later, residents are still in shock at the level of violence that occurred.

An unprecedented protest movement has been shaking Colombia over the past week. It began on November 21, when hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets to protest the policies of President Iván Duque and the protests have continued every day since. Though most of the demonstrations have been peaceful, they have faced persistent police repression since the very outset.

The Policarpa neighborhood has been particularly affected by police violence. FRANCE 24 spoke to numerous witnesses in this area located south of the town centre.

According to some of the people interviewed, the violence began when “hooligans” vandalized the main bus stop, set up barricades and started numerous trash can fires. They said the police passed in front of the stop several times but didn’t intervene.

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