Thousands of university students attended a march of protest on Tuesday against the recent constitutional reforms of President Hugo Chavez. The Police forces intervened and dispersed the demonstrators after setting a blockade as the march was heading to the National Assembly in Caracas.

The protesters were stopped at about 200 meters from the legislature by the police, which motivated their actions by asserting that in the mean time there was a gathering of pro-government demonstrators near the National Assembly ant things could escalate into a violent clash between the two sides.

The students said that the march in fact had been authorized and they manifested their discontent by clashing with police officers and pro-government demonstrators as well.

In accordance with the spokesman for students of Venezuela's Central University (UCV), Stalin Gonzalez, the protesters declined the proposed reform and demanded a postponement of the referendum on the proposal scheduled for December 2.

"A wide national debate must be opened to give time to study the project. We propose that the referendum be postponed till February 3 so that the whole country can discuss the content of the reform," Gonzales said.

The country’s National Assembly is debating at present the broad reform proposed by President Chavez.

A spokesman for another university, the Catholic University Andres Bello (UCAB), Yon Goicochea gave details over the declining of the reforms by the students.

"We believe the project violates all fundamental rights, violates the right to choose, the right to property, political plurality and the organization of the national territory," Goicochea said.

Over the last period, since January to be more precise, President Hugo Chavez has governed in Venezuela by decree with the support of the National Assembly, and roused concern abroad with his nationalization of central industries such as the energy sector.