September 11, 2020
Bogota, Colombia
Mark Slapinski
Anti-police riots have broken out in Bogota, in the South American country of Colombia. These come after the brutal execution of a civilian lawyer was caught on tape and spread on social media. The events have made headlines on American and British news channels.
The arrest and execution of lawyer Javier Ordóñez was over an alleged social distancing violation. The police used a taser on him multiple times. Some witnesses report the police used the taser 12 times.
Upon release of the cell phone video shortly after, riots broke out in Bogota. There are reports that police opened fire on protesters, killing at least 5 people.
No one had ordered police to shoot at protesters, especially not in an indiscriminate way
Claudia López, Mayor of Bogata
However, there is evidence that that was what had happened in some areas.
According to the Mayor of Bogotá - Claudia López - 248 people had been injured in the riots, of which 58 had received gunshot wounds. Ms López added that more than 100 police officers had also been hurt.
17 Police posts were burned down in Bogota. The protests also spread to Medellín, where numerous vehicles were damaged.
Bogota has a history of problems with Police Brutality. In 2011, there was an outcry after a 16-year-old graffiti artist was shot dead by police after spray painting at a bridge. The police officer behind that shooting was sentenced to 37 years in prison in 2016.
Some activists are taking to Twitter, calling the Police response a “massacre”.
The unrest was the worst the city has seen since the final months of 2019, when the capital erupted in mass protests calling for economic aid and reform.
New York Times
The unrest continues.