Thousands of students demonstrated November 5 in Lima, Peru, to oppose government attacks on public education that are part of austerity measures demanded by the International Monetary Fund. They carried signs protesting cuts in teachers’ wages and moves to make the public university system privately-financed. President Alejandro Toledo tried to demobilize the protests by promising that public education would always be free under his administration, but student organizers pointed out that state funding has already been cut and that universities are now 45 percent "self-financed," much of which will be paid for in student fees and wage cuts. Earlier, high school students demonstrated in Ayacucho province.  
 
 
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