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Protesters blame police for the fall of a 16-year-old from a bridge in Santiago, the capital of Chile. Videos of the teenager can be seen running in a group of protesters towards the bridge, followed by police officers. Then one of the policemen extended his arms in the direction of the 16-year-old, after which he fell over the railing of the bridge. However, the scene is confusing.
More recordings show how the protester lies in a river and the helpers begin to provide medical care. Then the 16-year-old was taken to a clinic, according to the Reuters news agency, his condition was not critical. The prosecutor said they were investigating the case.
Videos of the incident spread quickly in Chile. In the South American country about 30 people died in massive protests against rampant inequality almost a year ago. Thousands of people were injured or imprisoned.
Rodrigo Soto, a police lieutenant colonel, denied the protesters’ accusations on Twitter. “This unfortunate accident happened in a violent environment when people were arrested,” he said.
The Chilean government wrote in a statement that it had ordered an investigation into the case. While this is working, the accused police officer will be released from his duties. The government condemns all forms of violence, regardless of their origin or motive, he said.
Before the incident occurred, according to Reuters, around a hundred people had gathered in downtown Santiago de Chile to protest together. However, the demonstration was not comparable to the massive protests that caused a rise in metro prices in Santiago de Chile in October 2019.
The rallies and riots at that time had spread throughout the country, the police and the army opposed the protesters. The massive protests ended in March with the start of the corona pandemic. However, experts hope that the anniversary of the protests in October could fuel further unrest. The crown crisis has deepened the gap between rich and poor in the country (read more here).
