Venezuela ? Tens of thousands marched through Venezuela’s capital on Saturday to protest what they call growing authoritarianism by President Hugo Chavez.

A few thousand of the president’s backers held a separate counter-rally to express support for the government’s policies.

Anti-Chavez protesters, many of them wearing white, filled the streets of Caracas, denouncing recent arrests of opposition members during protests and a new education law that critics fear could lead to indoctrination in schools.

“It’s very concerning because education is Venezuela’s future,” said 23-year-old engineering student Carlos Delgado, who also complained of soaring inflation and rampant crime after more than a decade under Chavez.

“We have 11 years with the same faces, the same problems, and the truth is that we don’t see any solutions,” Delgado said.