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STORY: Thousands of Chilean students marched in Santiago on Wednesday in a new round of demonstrations aimed at pressing the government on education reform.
The marches were part of a 24-hour strike called by the National Convention of Students to demand free higher education and condemn conservative President Sebastian Pinera.
Pinera has touted recent educational reforms including expanded grants and student loan reforms, but students, who say the education system is profit-driven and only accessible to the well-off and well-connected, have said the reforms do not go far enough.
Violent clashes erupted, with police firing water cannon and tear gas at hooded protesters as flames poured from makeshift barricades.
Students, both secondary and university, have led regular demonstrations, calling for a free and quality education for all Chileans since the protest movement started in 2011.
The conservative Pinera, whose f
