Demonstrators clash with riot police in the surroundings of the Congress, while Chilean President Sebastian Pinera delivers his annual message to the nation on May 21, 2013.
Chilean students have hurled homemade firebombs during demonstrations as President Sebastian Pinera makes his final state of the nation speech to Congress.
Several thousands of people took part in protests outside the Congress in the port city of Valparaiso on Tuesday, demanding wide-range expansion of free education.
Police said more than 130 people were arrested and two police motorcycles were burned.
Protesters say the education system is deeply unfair, as middle-class students have access to the best schooling in the Latin American country, while the less privileged people have to be content with under-funded state schools.
During his speech to the Congress, Pinera called on the countryâ„¢s legislators not to give into the studentsâ„¢ demands. He said the state should not pay for those who can afford to pay for school.
Chilean families pay up to 900 dollars per month in tuition fees for their children to study at public universities where the average per capita GDP stands at around 20,000 dollars per year.
On May 8, tens of thousands of students staged nationwide demonstrations in Chileâ„¢s major cities, including Santiago, Valparaiso and Concepcion, in order to call for an end to for-profit education in the country.
Similar protests were also held on April 11, with authorities estimating the Chileans protesting across the country to demand improvements to the education system at 150,000.
The wave of student demonstrations started in 2011 and carried on throughout 2012.
EKA/SAB/PR
This article originally appeared on : Press TV