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SANTIAGO: Two churches were burned down as tens of thousands of protesters gathered on Sunday (October 18) in a central square in Santiago to commemorate the anniversary of a protest movement that erupted last year demanding greater equality in Chile.
The rally comes just a week before Chileans vote in a referendum on the possibility of replacing the dictatorship-era constitution, one of the key demands when the protest movement began on October 18, 2019.
While the morning brought a mostly festive atmosphere to the protests in Plaza Italia, there were several incidents of violence, looting and vandalism in the afternoon.
A church near Plaza Italia was set on fire as hooded protesters cheered, while a second place of worship was looted and also suffered fire damage.
However, firefighters managed to control that fire.
A figure of a saint burns after protesters storm the church of San Francisco de Borja, which belongs to Carabineros, Chile’s national police force, on the first anniversary of the start of massive protests against the government over inequality in Santiago , Chile, on Sunday in October. February 18, 2020 (AP Photo / Esteban Felix)
The small Church of the Assumption that was totally destroyed is known as the “parish of the artists”, according to the local press.
There were clashes between groups of soccer hooligans in a neighborhood of Santiago, while protesters in Plaza Italia sprayed a statue with red paint.
The communist mayor of a neighborhood near the central square, Daniel Jadue, was expelled from Plaza Italia by protesters.
However, it was a different sensation in the morning when protesters, many wearing masks to protect themselves against the coronavirus pandemic, raised banners, chanted and danced. The police even gradually withdrew from Plaza Italia.
“It’s great, very good and positive. They are purely good things for Chile in everything from here,” protester Viviana Donoso, 43, told AFP while she and a group of people danced to the drums.
“The people of Chile need to unite and we have to believe that we can do things.”
Some even attended the demonstration in disguise.
Demonstrators protest against the Chilean government on the first anniversary of the protests and riots that shook the capital in 2019, in Santiago, Chile, on October 18, 2020. REUTERS / Ivan Alvarado
HOPES FOR A “JUST CHILE”
For Víctor Hugo de la Fuente, journalist and manager of the Chilean edition of Le Monde Diplomatique, happiness reigned among the protesters “because of the possibility of moving forward and achieving a more just and democratic Chile.”
The protesters also asked their compatriots to vote to “approve” the proposed constitutional change.
“This is the opportunity to say enough! We are here and we are going to vote ‘Approve’,” Paulina Villarroel, a 29-year-old psychologist, told AFP.
The government of President Sebastián Piñera, one of the main targets of the protesters, called on the protesters to be peaceful and respect the coronavirus restrictions.
A riot police officer detains a protester as they face off during a protest against the Chilean government, on the first anniversary of the protests and riots that shook the capital in 2019, in Santiago, Chile, on October 18, 2020. REUTERS / Ivan Alvarado
The deadly outbreak has left 13,600 Chileans dead and more than 490,000 infected.
The protests initially erupted a year ago in response to an increase in metro fares, before becoming a general demonstration against inequality and the government.
In a night of rioting, a dozen subway stations were burned, bus stops destroyed, supermarkets looted, buildings vandalized, and protesters clashed with riot police who fired tear gas and used water cannons.
