Hundreds of protesters in Santiago descended on Plaza Dignidad and clashed with police after the murder of a street artist in the city of Panguipulli for the crime of not carrying his ID. Despite being hit with water cannons, tear gas, and other chemical weapons, protesters were able to occupy the Plaza several times and hold it off from land assaults by law enforcement.
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Protesters started off the demonstration by marching in numbers of about 150 to Plaza Dignidad, shrugging off water cannons and pushing into the area in spite of heavy police use of chemical weapons.
Protesters then began to consolidate their control over the area after Carabineros retreated, with another crowd of hundreds marching from Cerro Huelen to Plaza Dignidad as the strength of the crowd continued to grow.
Carabineros then returned to Plaza Dignidad, pushing out protesters with water cannons, tear gas, and other chemical weapons.
Police then began to chase protesters down the Alameda on foot, following closely behind with water cannon trucks and armored vehicles, before being pushed back at the Pio Nono bridge.
In spite of being hit with chemical weapons, protesters managed to take back Plaza Dignidad after pushing back Carabinero forces.
Despite sporadic attacks by Carabineros on protesters, Plaza Dignidad remained consolidated by the crowd, who sang chants against police repression and in support of the uprising’s political prisoners.
Carabineros then returned to attack demonstrators, with significant clashes taking off before the last protesters left Plaza Dignidad for the day.
Barricades were then put up in Lo Hermida and the intersection of the Alameda & San Lucía.
Neighbors across Santiago then began what is known as a “cacerolazo” in Latin America, a practice of banging pots and pans to make noise across an entire area.
Barricades were then placed and burned in several places across the communes of Santiago, disrupting traffic.
