BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) Rock-throwing and tear gas marred the election of a new rector at the University of Buenos Aires as a small group of activists clashed with police outside the building, and several officers were injured.
Protesters who want a more democratic process of choosing who runs Argentina's leading public university were kept out of the congressional hall where economics dean Alberto Barbieri was elected rector with triple the votes of Federico Schuster, the candidate favored by activists linked to President Cristina Fernandez.
Barbieri addressed peaceful protesters earlier, inviting them to help reform university elections, and said afterward that he wishes his victory were more democratic. But he also condemned the violence and said while a small group was fighting Thursday, 300,000 students were studying in UBA's many campuses.