Bogota, Nov 24 (AP) Thousands of Colombians took to the streets on Saturday to oppose the policies of President Gustavo Petro, who accused demonstrators of trying to destabilize the government.

Protesters in cities including Bogotá, Medellín and Cali decried a series of proposed health, labour and pensions reforms and accused Petro's administration of corruption.

Also Read | Singapore Shocker: Teacher Groomed Student, Had Sex With Her Before She Turned 16; Sentenced to 14 Years in Jail.

The crowd, which included retired military officials and opposition lawmakers, waved Colombian flags, with some demonstrators holding signs that read, “No to Petro reforms,” and “No to labour reforms.”

“I never expected to have to take to the streets to protest, to give my voice of rejection to this corruption,” said Luis Carlos Hernández as he marched through the streets of Bogotá, referring to Petro's supporters as “guerrilla bandits.”

Also Read | Pakistan Violence: 15 Killed, 25 Injured in Fresh Sectarian Clashes in Kurram, 2 Days After Attack on Passenger Vehicles.

Petro, a former leftist guerrilla who has denied the accusations, said that only some 20,000 people participated in Saturday's demonstrations as he accused them of trying to overthrow the government and mock voters.

“In Colombia, we will stop the coup d'état,” he wrote on X.

Saturday's protest is the latest rebuke against Petro's reform agenda. Protests began after he took office in 2022, but they have recently gained momentum. (AP)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)