Bogotá authorities have had to use tear gas and armored vehicles to end
a manifestation against the recently extended ‘Pico y Placa’ system.
Some protesters blocked Transmilenio services and attacked passers-by.
The Pico y Placa system forces owners of cars which license plates end in particular digits, to leave their car at home. Initially, this only applied during rush hours but the measure was recently adjusted to last all day. Expectedly, the new regulation had many opponents, most of which gathered to protest the adjustment on Wednesday.
The manifestation started at around 7 in the morning, at several locations. Three hours later, many reached the junction of Avenidad Caracas with Avenida Jiménez, one of the principal intersections in the city.
Against agreements, some protesters have blocked Transmilenio lanes, causing the transit system to cancel services throughout the day. during a large part of the day, the Avenida Caracas, Avenida Jiménez and Calle 13 remain closed to Transmilenio vehicles.
In the late afternoon, authorities used tear gas and several armored vehicles to end the protests as some of its participants were randomly attacking passers-by. Some protesters sat down on the street in order to prevent Transmilenio services from operating.