Five thousand teachers, union workers, and even moto-taxi drivers clogged the streets of Bogota Wednesday to protest foreign workers encroachment on their jobs.
The planned march, though peaceful, has city workers scrambling to keep things safe–and to keep traffic moving, as throngs of protesters have forced street closures and alternative routes in certain areas of the city.
Bogota security forces would not allow demonstrators to block metro stops or commit acts of vandalism, a government spokesman told Colombian media. The Transmilenio mass transit system would continue to operate as usual, with a special security detail lodged at each station, he added.
The march was scheduled to last until 4 pm Wednesday.