Tens of thousands of Chileans gathered local time on Sunday in a large square in the capital, Santiago, to reflect on the mass demonstrations of a year ago. At the time, more than thirty people were killed and thousands were injured. The demonstrations were initially peaceful, but at nightfall they turned into riots and looting.
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In the center of the capital and in cities all over the country, people gathered early in the day. The protesters carried signs and banners calling for a ‘yes’ vote to a referendum on whether or not to repeal the Chilean constitution, which dates back to the days of Augusto Pinochet’s dictatorship. He came to power in 1973 after a coup d’état and ruled the country with a very hard hand until 1990. The referendum will be held next Sunday.
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As the day wore on, the protests grew grim, until late at night riots, looting of supermarkets and clashes with police in the capital. Earlier in the day, burning barricades were erected on roads and many fireworks were set off. Masked men threw incendiary bombs at a police station and a church, among other things. In the early evening, vandals attacked and set fire to another church in Santiago. More than 15 metro stations were temporarily closed due to the unrest. Police fired tear gas and water cannons.
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Home Secretary Victor Perez praised the early peaceful rallies, while condemning the nighttime chaos. He called on Chileans to settle their differences by voting in the referendum on October 25. “Those who commit these acts of violence do not want Chileans to solve our problems democratically,” Perez told reporters. He promised to punish those who crossed the border on Sunday.
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