Protests in the Colombian capital Bogota turned violent on Thursday, as people across the country took part in mostly peaceful rallies against liberal economic policies and armed conflict.
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President Ivan Duque's government had ramped up security measures ahead of the marches, in the fear that Colombia could join the violent protest wave sweeping other Latin American countries.
In Bogota, thousands of protesters streamed into the central Bolivar Square, carrying placards reading: "The people are greater than their leaders" and singing the national anthem.
The rally later turned violent when a small group of masked people threw eggs at police, who responded by firing tear gas, local media reported.
Protesters smashed windows of the city hall, stoned Congress and tried to enter the Palace of Justice.
Demonstrators clashed with police, attacked shops and bus stations and burned garbage containers in the metropolitan area.
Twenty-eight police officers were injured in clashes around the country, including 23 in the city of Cali, police chief Oscar Atehortua said.
The mayor of Cali imposed a curfew in the city, where 25 people were reported to have been arrested.
Atehortua put the number of demonstrators nationwide at more than 200,000.
Overall, the protests were deemed relatively peaceful in comparison with Bolivia, Chile and Ecuador, where dozens of people were killed during demonstrations in recent weeks.
Colombia's marches and a general strike had been called by trade unions and groups representing students, farmers, women, indigenous people and people of African descent.
Duque's conservative government imposed heavy security measures, including the closure of Colombia's borders and granting permission to regional and local authorities to declare curfews. Large numbers of soldiers were deployed in Bogota.
The demonstrations opposed alleged government plans to raise the pension age and to lower young people's minimum wage, though Duque has denied having such intentions.
Protesters were also demanding more funding for education, the full implementation of the 2016 peace deal with the guerrilla group FARC and stronger action to protect its former fighters as well as local community leaders, hundreds of whom have been killed by armed groups in recent years.
Colombians also staged protests in Sydney, Paris and Berlin.
Australian Associated Press
