Chile: huge student protests (again) - updated: 30 arrested, 20 injured

Hundreds of thousands marched through Santiago and other cities (Concepción, Talca, Los Ángeles, Chillán, Valparaíso) of the South American state in demand of free quality public education for all. 

The president of the Student Federation of the University of Chile, Andrés Fielbaum, declared about the upcoming presidential elections, that:

It would seem that the candidates live in another country and have not hear the demands of the majority of this country and keep believing that education is good business for the majority. 

Similarly Isabel Salgado (ACES) said:

We want to tell the candidates that none of them represents us, that this movement is autonomous. Therefore their proposals are useless for us unless they would dare to promote structural change.

Diego Vela of the Student Federation of the Catholic University attacked the post-fascist constitution of the country, which acts as a lock against change. 

In the main demonstration at Santiago, there were some squabbles between police forces and a fraction of the students but compared with previous occasions this time the mobilization was quite peaceful.

Source: Webguerrillero[es].

Update: police violence after the march was important again. Some 20 people have been injured and at least 30 arrested.

Some of the worst clashes took place in Mapocho (north of Santiago), where citizens responded to police water cannons and gas canisters with rocks and petrol bombs. Luxury shops and bank offices were attacked as well.

Police also attacked the campus of the University of Chile, where an anti-government meeting was to take place, against the will of the rector, who dubbed it "unacceptable" and "aggression with impunity".

→ Webguerrillero[es].