Honduras: Heavily-Armed Police Clear Students Protest

July 25 - Police used tear gas and water cannons laced with chemicals to clear the students protest in the capital Tegucigalpa.

The students from National Autonomous University of Honduras were protesting against the university’s decision to bring 30 students to trial for damaging university property in an earlier protest against changes to university standards.

Around 1,000 students blocked access to the university, also demanding the resignation of university dean and other officials over corruption allegations.

The University Student Movement, MEU, organized the “Tuesday of Hoods” calling on protesters to protect their identity by using red or black masks.

Around 400 heavily-armed riot forced the students to retreat, throwing tear gas and using a water cannon tank against the protesters.

Arturo Hernandez, a journalist for local newspaper La Tribuna was injured in the clashes. He said the students helped attend to his injuries.

“The MEU helped me, they took me away from the place so they couldn’t continue to beat me and they stopped the blood running from my head,” he told La Tribuna.

“If this happened to me, it could happen to anyone, “ he added.