Protesting Students Dance to Michael Jackson's Thriller

Some 3,000 Chilean student demonstrators dressed up as zombies and danced to Michael Jackson's "Thriller" to demand higher education reforms on Friday.

As the music blared, the students performed in unison in front of La Moneda presidential palace.

Wearing a white jacket, this medical student said the state has forgotten about education, which has atrophied as a result.

"We dressed up as zombies because we believe that education is currently dead-–it's rotten. The state has thrown us away."

Industrial design student Jaira Sepulveda said the dance is an allegory.

[Jaira Sepulveda, Student]:
"Public education is dying so we took this Michael Jackson creation and we united to this movement that is dying, the zombies. At its heart, that's what it is. And behind each zombie, there's a family. This has much deeper meaning."

In recent weeks, the students have staged massive rallies demanding the resignation of the Minister of Education, saying he has failed to work with student groups.

The students are calling for greater spending on schools and reforms in Chile's educational system.