They are killing us.
(2020 - 2021) Youth, Cities, Demonstrations, Strikes, Police violence, armed conflict.
In april 2021, the citizen protest tooks to the streets. Hundred thousands of young people in different cities of Colombia demonstrated for a tax reform that squeezed more taxes from the poorest population. Also for the missgoverment from Ivan Duque wich represent the traditional far right who has directed the country around 200 years gave a step back in economy, the environmental conservation, and the peace agreements with the FARC guerrilla. After a year of the pandemic and the economic fall that it generated, the rage took to the streets. The government’s response was vio- lent and disproportionate, thousands of abuses and excesses by the police against pro- testers who systematically violated human rights were denounced over the days. In 2021 and on June 26, 2021, at least 4,687 cases of violence occurred by the Public Force (not including cases of disappearances). Within these cases, it was possible to identify: 44 homicides whose alleged aggressors are policemen. 228 victims of firearm injuries. 2005 arbitrary arrests of passersby or people who were not part of violent acts. In some cases it was possible to verify attacks by civilians shooting at protesters.
The coverage was carried out in Bogotá, the city where I am currently based. Do- cumenting the demonstrations that mostly turned violent sought to refute what the traditional media transmitted. The stigmatization of those who take to the streets to protest is a method that for decades Colombian governments have believed valid to confront the “internal enemy” consequences of an internal conflict of almost 7 decades that has treated the young population as terrorist who demand education, social inclusion and a honest conviction to erradicate structural poverty.