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Protesters in Bogotá on September 10th
Photo: LUISA GONZALEZ / REUTERS
At least eleven people were killed in protests against police violence in the Colombian capital, Bogotá, and more than 400 people were injured, according to the authorities.
Videos on online networks showed frightened protesters fleeing from gunfire during the clashes.
Claudia López, the mayor of Bogotá, said most of the dead died from gunshot wounds.
There are indications that the shooting was arbitrary.
"What kind of training do they get to take such disproportionate action against protests?" Asked Lopez.
Defense Minister Trujillo also condemned the incidents.
He said the federal police apologized for any violations of the law and promised to resolve the case quickly.
Disciplinary and criminal investigations have been launched against two police officers, according to Trujillo.
President Iván Duque regretted the action taken by the police and called for "appropriate sanctions".
However, he does not want to "stigmatize" the police due to "individual" incidents.
Death of Javier Ordóñez as the trigger for the protests
The cause of the demonstrations was the death of the 43-year-old lawyer Javier Ordóñez.
When he was arrested, he was held down by police officers and fasped at least five times.
In a video you can hear Ordóñez shouting "Please stop" several times.
Ordóñez later died in hospital.
Since Wednesday, hundreds of people in Bogotá and other cities took to the streets to protest the violent death of a man after his arrest.
According to the information, 56 police stations were damaged in the riots and more than a hundred people were arrested.
The Colombian police have caused outrage several times in the past because of the excessive use of force.
In November 2019, an 18-year-old protester was fatally injured in the head by lead bullets from the police.
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bah / Reuters / dpa / AFP