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CHILE-POLITICS-PROTESTS
Thousands protest to maintain pressure on Chile government
SANTIAGO, Nov 2, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – Dressed in black, marching silently and
raising one fist, around a thousand women on Friday demanded justice for
those killed and injured during the last two weeks of social unrest in Chile.
Their march started off a day of demonstrations on a long weekend in the
country, expanding later as tens of thousands answered social media calls to
match last Friday’s huge protest that attracted more than a million people.
Santiago authorities said the protest in the city drew about 20,000
demonstrators, including many young people and families. Isolated clashes
broke out after security forces tried to disperse protesters with tear gas
and water cannon.
“Justice, truth, no to impunity,” chanted the women marchers in front of
the presidential palace in central Santiago, as their silent protest burst to
life.
They held up signs paying tribute to the 20 people killed and more than
1,300 injured during the protests, according to statistics provided by the
National Human Rights Institute (INDH).
Protesters, whose rally coincided with the Christian holiday of All Saints
Day, stood in silence holding one fist aloft in front of impassive police
guarding the presidential palace.
“We’re not going to back down until the government answers us about the
deaths. We feel betrayed by this government,” Marco, a 22-year-old student,
told AFP.
In the central Plaza Italia square, which has been the epicenter of the
protest movement these last two weeks — thousands waved Chilean and Mapuche
indigenous flags.
Protesters in this country of 18 million people are angry about low
salaries and pensions, poor public health care and education, and a yawning
gap between rich and poor in Latin America’s wealthiest country on a per
capita basis.
The unrest began with protests against a rise in metro ticket prices and
other austerity measures that descended into vandalism, looting and clashes
between demonstrators and police.
Many protesters have demanded the resignation of billionaire President
Sebastian Pinera.
He has announced a series of social measures and a cabinet reshuffle to try
to appease the demonstrators, but to no avail.
Chile’s image took a hit on Wednesday when the government said it was
pulling out of hosting the APEC economic summit in November and the December
COP climate conference.
It said it had no choice but to abandon the summits for security reasons.
BSS/AFP/GMR/0932 hrs