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In Pictures: Churches set ablaze as Chile protests turn violent

Clashes erupt as Chileans mark the anniversary of a social movement that led to large protests in 2019.

Firefighters work to extinguish a fire at the parish of La Asuncion in the surroundings of Plaza Italia following a protest in Santiago [Elvis Gonzalez/EPA]
Published On 19 Oct 2020

Two churches were torched as tens of thousands of demonstrators gathered on Sunday in a central Santiago square to mark the anniversary of a protest movement that broke out last year demanding greater equality in Chile.

The demonstration comes just a week before Chileans vote in a referendum on whether to replace the dictatorship-era constitution, one of the key demands when the protest movement began on October 18 last year.

While the morning brought a largely festive atmosphere to the protests at Plaza Italia, there were several incidents of violence, looting and vandalism in the afternoon.

One church close to Plaza Italia was burned to the ground as hooded protesters cheered, while a second place of worship was looted and also suffered fire damage.

For Victor Hugo de la Fuente, a journalist and manager at the Chilean edition of Le Monde Diplomatique, happiness reigned amongst protesters “due to the possibility of progressing and achieving a fairer and more democratic Chile”.

Demonstrators also called for their countrymen to vote to “approve” the proposed constitutional change.

The government of President Sebastian Pinera, one of the protesters’ main targets, called on demonstrators to be peaceful and to respect coronavirus restrictions.

The epidemic has left 13,600 Chileans dead with more than 491,000 infected.

Protests broke out a year ago initially as a response to a hike in metro fares, before mushrooming into a general demonstration against inequality and the government.

People stand outside the burning Church of Asuncion after it was set on fire by demonstrators on the commemoration of the first anniversary of the social uprising in Chile. [Martin Bernetti/AFP]
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The demonstration comes just a week before Chileans vote in a referendum on whether to replace their dictatorship-era constitution. [Martin Bernetti/AFP]
Riot police clash with demonstrators in Santiago. [Ivan Alvarado/Reuters]
A Chilean soldier points his shotgun at demonstrators. In the past few days, small-scale protests and isolated incidents of violence have resurfaced in Chile, as the capital's six million citizens emerge from months of confinement following the COVID-19 pandemic. [Rodrigo Garrido/Reuters]
The demonstrations, while largely peaceful early on, were marred by increasing incidents of violence. [Ivan Alvarado/Reuters]
"Those who carry out these acts of violence do not want Chileans to solve our problems through democratic means," Interior Minister Victor Perez told reporters, vowing to punish those who crossed the line on Sunday. [Rodrigo Garrido/Reuters]
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Chile has been roiled by continuing and sometimes violent street protests since the uprising on last October when a student protest over a modest increase in subway fares turned into a much larger and broader movement with a long list of demands that largely focus on inequality. [Rodrigo Garrido/Reuters]
In the lead-up to the anniversary, authorities deployed 40,000 troops to streets across the nation. [Elvis Gonzalez/EPA]
The demonstration, organised by groups anonymously on social media, took place under strict police surveillance to prevent disorder and riots. [Elvis Gonzalez/EPA]