Chile's student protesters reject proposal

More than 50,000 protesters have marched through Chile's capital to press the government for changes in the nation's education system.

Students who participated in Thursday's demonstration, dubbed the "March of the Umbrellas", were not deterred by cold or rain, reported Santiago's La Tercera newspaper.

Minor skirmishes broke out between police and protesters, and La Tercera reported that students set a small number of barricades on fire. Police said that all incidents were quieted by other students participating in the march.

More than 120km away, in Valparaiso, police reportedly clashed with stone-throwing protesters who demanded an end to education profiteering.

The "March of Umbrellas" took place hours after Chile's government offered a settlement that fell short of student demands for a better education system. Those demands have fueled months of demonstrations in Santiago and other Chilean cities.