Colombians take to the streets to support ousted leftist mayor

Thousands of people gathered in Bogota's main square on Friday night and took to social media to support the Colombian capital's leftist mayor, who was ousted this week for trying to fire private contractors.

Some of the demonstrators viewed Mayor Gustavo Petro's dismissal as a blow to the country's attempts to make peace with its main leftist rebel group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).

"[Petro was] the only leader who has worked on behalf of the poor," said Adelmo Martinez, a 48-year-old schoolteacher.

Petro, a former member of the M-19 rebel movement, has also been barred from elected office for 15 years by Colombia's inspector-general, a conservative ally of former President Alvaro Uribe.

Support for Petro has dropped since he took office last year, and Inspector-General Alejandro Ordonez accused him of overreaching constitutionally.

As a senator, Petro led investigations that uncovered collusion between far-right militias and Uribe allies, helping to send dozens of officials to prison.

Al Jazeera's Alessandro Rampietti, reporting from Bogota, said international pressure is mounting on the country to show its rationale for sentencing Petro to "political death."

"The show of force we're seeing today is very important to keep the pressure on," he said.

An opinion poll published on Friday found 54 percent of Bogota residents opposed Petro's ouster, with 38 percent in favor.

The M-19 rebel movement's 1990 peace pact is considered an inspiration for the government's current talks in Cuba with FARC, and after this week's announcement of sanctions against Petro, the group questioned how its members would be treated if an accord is reached.

FARC called the mayor's dismissal "a serious blow" to the government's credibility in the year-long negotiations, which have so far led to partial agreements on land reform and rebel political participation.

The official reason for Petro's ouster was that he tried to fire private contractors in a failed bid to overhaul garbage collection in the capital.

"What we have is a punishment that doesn't fit the crime," said Navarro Wolff, a former M-19 rebel and Petro's former chief of staff.

To keep his job, Petro must file an appeal to Ordonez, and a final ruling could take weeks.

Al Jazeera and wire services