Tegucigalpa, June 8 (RHC)-- University students in Honduras’ capital city of Tegucigalpa wrapped up a 36-hour protest on Tuesday when they allowed access to the campus they had occupied for nearly two days as their latest move in a wave of actions demanding high-level reforms at the university and an overhaul of rising tuition costs.
Students seized the National Autonomous University of Honduras, known as Unah, in central Tegucigalpa on Monday morning, ramping up protests that kicked off last week and forcing the university to shut down while students occupied buildings and faced off with police.
The protests erupted over Unah authorities’ changes to academic regulations that have raised fears that students who thought they would be able to pass now might not be able to. Students slammed the new rules as "exclusionary," according to EFE, arguing that they should not be applied.
The demonstrations, involving students from across different programs, have also called for representation within the administration to ensure that the student body has a voice when it comes to proposed policy changes.
Police threatened to forcibly evict the students from the campus on Tuesday if they did not agree to disperse, the Honduran daily La Prensa reported. Protesters left buildings they had taken control of without police resorting to force.