BREAKING: Colombia protests enter 3rd week as President Duque urges rejection of violence

Colombia's anti-government protests continued into their third week in Bogotá on Wednesday after union members, students, pensioners and workers demonstrated.

President Iván Duque had urged citizens to reject violence and stereotypes about demonstrators and police alike.

Riot police at nightfall emerged from the Congress building and fired tear gas and stun bombs at thousands of protesters gathered in Bolívar Plaza. As they left the square, protesters threw rocks and shattered glass benches.

The sometimes violent demonstrations began in late April, initially fuelled by outrage at a now-cancelled tax plan. Protesters' demands have expanded to include an end to police violence, economic support amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and the withdrawal of a health reform.