I just moved into a new apartment in Bogota in a neighborhood called La Macarena. It's known for its laid-back feel, restaurants and fabulous fruit and produce market.

It's also surrounded by universities.

Colombia's congress is mulling a bill that would allow for private investment in state-run schools. Some are worried the deal would also deprive universities of their autonomy. 

Confrontations have broken out at at least four national universities, and VP Angelino Garzon said there is a risk that illegal groups (namely the FARC and the ELN) might infiltrate the protests.

Today, the students directly in front of my apartment – who have been running around in masks and throwing fireworks all week – finally

drew the attention of the police.

A full-scale melee ensued, with Molotov-cocktails, tear gas and water cannons.

From my perch, the students seemed incredibly well organized. Teams with wheelbarrows full of rocks kept the front lines armed. Others used buckets to smother the tear gas canisters that were raining down on them.

A third team, on the far side of the protesters, would gather up stones and toss them back into the university yard for recycling.

Despite the purportedly political nature of the protest, there was no screaming of demands or waving of banners. The only thing I could hear the students yell was the typical Colombian insult of "Gonorrhea!"

Such protests aren’t novel in Bogota, and within about 45 minutes of it being over street sweepers had removed the rocks, hauled off barriers and had traffic moving again. 

Shortly after I snapped these photos the neighbors told me that the last time students saw someone taking pictures from this building – about four months ago – they broke out all the windows.

That's good advice, as I have a feeling I'm going to see more of these.