Police officers and child wounded during student protest (update)

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Police officers and child wounded during student protest (update)

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On November 9, 2007, four police officers were wounded during a protest by opposition students in <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Merida, western Venezuela. While students were throwing stones and home made bombs to police, a man got down their University bus and started shooting.  The identity of this offender is not quite clear yet. A passing minor was also injured in the shooting. According to Reuters, it was the second time this week people have been shot at demonstrations against Chavez. According to El Univeral, a journalist was also hurt by Merida police during the clash with oppostion students.  These incidente add up to a series of violent events around student’s protests or manifestation.

At night, a pro government student centre at the school of law and politics at Universidad Central de Venezuela (UCV) was burned down. Its members managed to escape unhurt. They accused the extreme right students at the UCV for igniting the fire with a home made bomb. They also regretted that a new lot of computers its centre had received early was destroyed.  Pro government students crowd this centre and the school of social work that was violently attacked on Wednesday. University authorities are investigating this event.

Earlier this morning University Deans and governmental officers reached an agreement on the management of students protest. They agreed to keep them on the legal and peaceful side. By rejecting violence within the campus, University authorities wanted to guarantee the right to peaceful protest. They would take full charge of University security. On the other hand, the Chavez administration promised to respect university autonomy and inviolability.

The US administration accused the Venezuelan government of resorting to violence during the recent student protest. The Venezuelan vice President, Jorge Rodriguez immediately rejected such allegations. He also echoed the assertion made earlier from Chile by President Chavez that the current US administration have been involved in the violent events and its distortion by international media. 

Sources: Reuters, VTV, Telesur, El Universal, Globovison, ABN,VOA, Unionradio, ABN, El Universal, VIVE 

Related Stories: Unassertive student’s demonstrations ended up in violence (restored), Venezuelan students blame one another for violence (updated II)