I meant to post this almost a month ago. Here it is, now.
Tuesday the 21st was a national holiday commemorating the Battle of Iquique. Every year in Valparaíso the president gives a speech and the naval forces march around and people come from far and wide to watch and to protest the State. This year is an election year and the popular social organizations are calling for radical change, including a new constitution, reproductive rights, free and quality education and an end to oppressive neoliberal policies. The Critical Mass folks took to the streets on bikes which allowed us to get from plaza to plaza faster and also to more quickly flee from the cops when they started chasing everybody down with water and tear gas (see video below). We ended the afternoon with a lovely vegetarian meal with squash-veggie soup, salad and lentil burgers and serious reflection accompanied by beer and friends.
Even if you don’t understand Spanish, this video has footage of some of the police brutality and demonstrations from the 21st ——> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VJcayaYTfY
One scene from that day that will stay with me was when I was standing with my bike watching, on one side of Plaza Victoria, a teenager getting violently torn from his family and arrested by police in riot gear who were unscrupulously blasting people with chemical-water and tear gas while, on the other side of the plaza, children were playing while their parents sat peacefully on benches. Jarring, how normalized state-sponsored violence is in this country.
In related news, there is a new law that makes it illegal to insult a police officer. FTP.