Chile's students mass in city of Valparaiso

Thousands of students and teachers took to the streets of Valparaiso, seat of Chiles parliament, in a protest intended to ramp up pressure on the government for education reform.Local officials said there were about 12,000 protesters on the streets of this coastal city some 120 kilometres (75 miles) from the capital city Santiago.The protesters said they hope to have an impact on a congressional debate over the budget.The stage for protests moves back on Friday to Santiago, which will be the venue for another massive demonstration for education reform.Chile has been roiled by months of protests, as students demand free public university education.Classes have been on hold in many schools and universities since the start of the protests, which first erupted in May and routinely draw tens of thousands of students into the streets.The ongoing protest actions are Chiles biggest since the end of the Augusto Pinochet dictatorship more than two decades ago.