Some thoughts on Bogotá’s #21N protests
- #21N was an overwhelmingly peaceful march until some idiots tried to steal the narrative.
- #21N matters as did the nighttime cacerolazo which took back the narrative from the violent agitators.
- President Duque’s late night post #21N address was a response to violence and out of context, in particular for a government “which listens.”
- Mayor Penalosa’s Friday morning press conference was a harrying cry for conspiracy theorists.
- Protests will continue due to the government’s inability to respond with humility and understanding.
- #21N protests in Bogotá may have drawn more than 800,000 people, although the police will say less and attendees will say more.
- Creativity in the banners for the #21N was at an all-time high.
- The violence on the Ave de Cali and Ave Suba were indicative of a deeper disenfranchisement of working class urbanites than “encapuchados,” from the Universidad Nacional.
- The Colombian press is still failing to ask questions of their government as to why the protests took place.
- Has Colombia woken up with #21N?
- Over breakfast this morning, my four year old son asked for permission to join the demonstration today as his school has been cancelled once again.
- There were violent agitators just as there were heavy-handed responses.
- How can the government play this, one solution would be to pull to the centre, shuffle some of the Centro Democratico cabinet ministers and making good on promises.
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