Tear Gas Used to Disperse Protesters in Santiago's Plaza Baquedano

4 年前

A state of emergency was declared across Santiago, Chile, as mass protests turned violent and police used tear gas to disperse the hundreds of demonstrators who descended upon Plaza Baquedano on Saturday, October 19.

The large-scale protests, sparked by concerns over the cost of living, followed days of fare-dodging and other actions against rising transportation costs.

Government authorities said the fare was not rising for everyone; Minister of Transport and Telecommunications Gloria Hutt noted that students were exempt from the increase and would continue to pay the same flat fare that they were previously paying – 230 pesos ($0.32 USD) per journey.

The Guardian reported the state of emergency would apply to Santiago and last for at least 15 days.

On Friday night, a bus was burned and the Enel Green Energy building was destroyed. The subway service was suspended during the demonstrations, and police had previously used water cannons and tear gas to disperse protesters. Credit: Fabián Rodríguez Puali via Storyful