Protesters paint red statue of General Baquedano in Plaza Italia: Mayor Alessandri says “it is a terrible omen” for Sunday

This afternoon, a group of protesters painted the statue of General Baquedano, located in Plaza Italia, red.

At about 4:00 pm, protesters began to arrive in the sector, where traffic is cut off both in the eastern and western directions.

Carabineros was present at the scene with wagon launchers to disperse the protesters.

The mayor of the Santiago commune, Felipe Alessandri, said in Chilevisión that this demonstration is a “terrible omen” on Sunday, which marks one year of the social outbreak. “Being a quarter to five in the afternoon, that we are already with these demonstrations, that the water-launching car is already there, that they have already violated the Baquedano monument is a very bad omen.”

“I say to the violentists, because let’s distinguish between the two, there are protesters and violentists, and these are violentists, I hope they empathize a little and that Show solidarity with the 30 thousand neighbors who live, with the tenants who work there, who are 10 thousand people and that practically a year ago they have had very low incomes, on the verge of bankruptcy. With older adults, with young people who have seen their quality of life seriously altered. And with the municipal authorities too, because as soon as the violent activists leave, we are the ones who enter to sweep, turn off the barricades and fix the environment, “added the mayor.

The event occurs in the run-up to what will be the anniversary of October 18.

Metro, for its part, reported that the accesses to the Baquedano station, both on Line 1 and 5, are closed. The combination, they indicated, is available.