Showbiz protest against lockdown in Colombia

Dozens of showbusiness workers in Colombia gathered Tuesday in the capital Bogota to protest at the virus restrictions that have stopped them from working for much of the past year.

Jaquelín Martínez, representative for Colombia's Events Association, said business owners, organizers and artists were urging the government to listen to their demands.

"We are asking for the right to work, the right that everyone should be given," Martínez said.

Some of the demonstrators wore chains to symbolise they weren't being given the freedom to do their jobs.

Since Colombia first started imposing lockdown restrictions, most entertainment events have been banned.

According to the government, more than 3.8 million people have been immunized against COVID-19, a small fraction of the country's population.

Colombia has reported more than 69,000 COVID-19 related deaths and more than 2.6 million cases in the past year.