Chile: Riots in Commemoration on the Day of the Youth Combatant

The Day of the Young Combatant in Santiago kicked off in the early morning hours of March 29th.

Activity in Villa Francia:

In Villa Francia in the community of Central Station, an event with music and videos occurred in honor of all our fallen comrades who have died in combat, also Luisa Toledo and Manuel Veragara (mother and father of Eduardo and Rafael) talked about death of their children and that this date (March 29) is in remembrance of all the youth who died fighting for freedom and how important it is to support comrades in prison.

After more than 200 people marched screaming the names of fallen comrades (Eduardo and Rafael Veragara, Paul Vergara, Aracely Romo, Claudia Lopez, Jonny Cariqueo, Matias Catrileo, Mauricio Morales, etc.) Moving down the street April 5, after a few blocks, to the street October 7, the first clashes occurred when police used tear gas to try to disperse people but were met with stones and Molotov cocktails, barricades were also erected. The press tried to hide behind the police but they were also attacked. After fighting continued in Villa Francia. (More photos at the end).

In other populations of Santiago:

Around 22:00 in Villa Colon, in the community of San Bernardo, a dozen youth began to attack journalists and their vehicles with stones, to which the police responded with tear gas to try to disperse the riot. In several places, youths erected barricades and clashed with the police. During the protests gunshots were heard.

Pasadas las 22:30 horas en la intersección de avenida Las Rejas y calle Río Quetro, Estación Central, se producen enfrentamientos entre la policía y un grupo encapuchadxs. Lugar donde se escucharon disparos.

After 22:30 at the intersection of Las Rejas and Rio Quetro, Central Station, there were clashes between the police and a group encapuchados. Gunfire was heard.

At 22:30 barricades began to turn up in different sectors of the community of Peñalolén. Groups also began throwing stones at police at Grecia avenue, near the Esperanza Andina. The agents of order used water cannons and tanks to disperse the groups that took to the streets.

In the sector of the neighborhood La Pincoya in the community of Huechuraba, barricades were erected in on Recoleta street and other places where youths also clashed with police.

In Renca barricades were erected in several areas where youths also clashed with police.

Also, in the communities of Pudahuel, Lo Espejo, Cerrillos, Maipú Conchalí, Cerro Navia, Quilicura, Recoleta, Independencia, La Granja and La Platina, roads were blocked and barricades were erected.

In Concepcion, south of $hile:

The first incident took place in General Bonilla avenue, where unknown individuals burned a backhoe, belonging to the company Ideco, which had been in the street due to repairs. The fire had been started by three people who poured combustibles on the machine and set it on fire, then fled the scene.

At another point in the area, a group composed of unknown people lit tires on fire as barricades at Puente Perales in Talcahuano.

In both cases there were no arrests.

Power Outages:
Near midnight, several sectors of Santiago were without power, the product of chains thrown to the electrical cables. In the area of Villa Francia in Central Station, in the areas of Renca, also Peñalolen, Huechuraba and San Bernardo.

Attacks on Transantiago buses:
In the community of Renca about 10 encapuchadxs used a gun to get the bus driver to come down from the bus. Then they poured gasoline inside it and set the bus on fire. The bus, corresponded to the route 408 and is completely burned.

A second bus was attacked with fire at the intersection of Infante and Las Torres, in the community of Peñalolén. There people threw a burning mattresses against the bus which caused some damage but the machine was not completely destroyed.

Los buses del Transantiago fueron atacados con gran frecuancia, mayoritariamente con piedras, rompiendo sus cristales, durante las protestas de anoche.

The buses were attacked with great frequency, mostly with rocks breaking the windows during the protest last night.

Arrests:

The government took preventative measures to halt the protests this year they had provided an additional 2,000 cops to contain areas where disturbances occur frequently for the Day of the Young Combatant.

As a result of all the protests in Santiago 97 people were arrested, charged with disorders, some severe disorders, possession of incendiary material and possession of weapons. All the arrestees spent the night in the police stations and, today, March 30th, there arraignments were held at the “Justice Center” of Santiago where the judge gave out the punishments.

Of all of the arrestees, two people were accused of carrying Molotov cocktails. One from the community of Renca and another from Villa Francia, Central Station.

According to police after the arson attack on the Renca transantiago bus there were two people arrested, a 25 year old and a child under 16 years old, according to the cops they had a “smelled strongly of gas” and “were recognized by the driver of the bus” which doesn’t make sense because the people who set fire to the bus were masked up.

Also, 4 people were arrested in other regions.

During the night helicopters and police cars (tanks with tear gas and water guns, buses, etc..) patrolled the areas where the riots had happened. The fighting continued into the early morning hours.

Reactions:

Meanwhile the government via Rodrigo Hinzpeter (Interior Minister), stated to the press, that this March 29 was one of the quietest to have occurred in years, then thanking the police for their work. But how much information was hidden? How many roadblocks and clashes were not mentioned? How many police cars were damaged from the fighting? How many cops were injured? Because nobody believes that any policeman was hit by stones or molotovs, those cops who failed to run and the cops who fell behind the group in into the hands of young protesters.

Lo importante y trasendente para la lucha, no es lo que dice la prensa o el Poder, sino que despues de 26 años del asesinato de Eduardo y Rafael Vergara (y tantxs otrxs compas caídxs) la lucha sigue y no da pie atrás.
It is imporant to transcend the struggle, to not listen to what the media or Power says, but to know that still after 26 years since the assassination of Eduardo and Rafael Vergara (and the many other fallen comrades) the struggle continues and does not hold back.

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