Sharjah24 – AFP: Thousands of protesters took to the streets of Chile on Monday to mark the second anniversary of the demonstrations against inequality that sparked the re-writing of the constitution.
More than 30 people died in the unrest that followed the October 2019 demonstrations while right-wing President Sebastian Pinera's government came under fire over an at times brutal response from security forces, including some rights violations.
Thousands of demonstrators congregated in the capital Santiago and other cities to mark the occasion and renew their calls for greater social justice.
On Santiago's main La Alameda street, shops and businesses closed hours early and pulled down metal shutters to protect their premises from potential vandalism.
Just as in 2019, the majority of protesters were young and chanted anti-government slogans as they marched past the presidential palace towards Plaza Italia, the epicenter of the movement two years ago.
Authorities removed traffic lights and rubbish bins from the square to prevent them being vandalized.
The original protest in 2019 was initially sparked by a hike in metro fares.
The unrest that followed left 34 dead and 460 people with eye injuries, including some that lost their sight, from pellets and tear gas fired by police.
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