Quito, November 12 (teleSUR-RHC)-- Thousands of supporters of President Rafael Correa rallied in central Quito on Wednesday in the face of renewed opposition protests.

“Correa has done so many things for our country.  So many things,” Correa supporter Rosa Chiquimarea told teleSUR English.

Amid crowds clad in the lime green of Correa's PAIS party, Chiquimarea said the current government has revolutionized the lives of Ecuador's poor and other traditionally marginalized groups.  “For example, he has totally changed the situation for people with disabilities,” she said.

Correa was first elected in 2007 on an anti-poverty platform, and has since dramatically expanded social services and welfare. 

The rally packed Quito's main square, Plaza Grande, with cheering crowds, while a live band played traditional Andean music.  “There's so much force in the people,” said Renaldo, a visitor from Argentina. “And the force of the people can't be silenced,” he said. 

Another visitor to Ecuador, Terry Marcille said the energy of the rally was overwhelming. “For me, it's just so interesting to see the people and the culture,” she said.

Outside Plaza Grande, police were out in force, amid concerns of another spate of opposition violence. 

An opposition march passed through the city center in the early evening, following a similar route of a march that turned violent earlier this year.

Central to the opposition protests is the demand that the government scrap proposed constitutional amendments, especially the amendment regarding the elimination of presidential term limits.

The indigenous organization Conaie —which was part of the coalition that brought President Correa to power in 2006, but which has been increasingly aligned with right-wing banker Guillermo Lasso since 2010— called for a national mobilization against the constitutional amendments.