Thousands protest police violence in Colombia

Thousands of Colombians took to the streets of Bogota on Monday in anti-government protests spurred by police violence.

Many of the demonstrators marched peacefully toward the center of the city carrying banners and flags.

But some protesters were dispersed with tear gas after small groups of youths in black balaclavas started to break storefront windows.

The protests were organized by unions, Indigenous groups and student organizations who were behind massive anti-government rallies last year.

This time, crowds were only a small fraction of those in November, with less than a thousand eventually making it to the iconic Bolivar square on Monday.

Two weeks ago 13 people died from bullet wounds during protests over the police beating of Javier Ordoñez, a 42-year-old father of two, who later died in hospital.

The two police officers implicated in the death of Ordoñez were sent to prison on Monday while they await their trial.

During Monday's protest police were barred from carrying firearms.

Unions in Colombia are also protesting a government proposal that would make it easier for companies to hire workers by the hour.

The demonstrations come as Colombia emerges from five months of strict social distancing measures, and seeks to reopen its economy.