Chile: September 11 Protesters Clash with Police All Over Chile

Chileans took to the streets to pay homage to former president Salvador Allende, in the 47th anniversary of his death, and to condemn the coup d'etat which brought about the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet.

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According to Telesur's reporter in Chile, Alejandro Kirk, dozens of demonstrators marched in Heroes Square (Plaza Los Heroes), in Rancagua, to remember not only Allende but also the losses caused by Pinochet's repression and to pay tribute to those missing. 

On midday, the peaceful marchers carried signs with pictures of those assassinated by Pinochet forces and shouted out "Present!" as they mentioned the victim's names.

On July 11 of 1971, Allende delivered a speech to celebrate the nationalization of the copper industry in Plaza Los Heroes. He also commemorated the Rancagua battle, a pivotal event in Chile's history during the colonial period.

"47 years after the military coup against President Allende, we pay proper homage to his legacy and the thousands of victims left by the dictatorship. With the memory intact and the dream of a dignified Chile, we continue the struggle!" the Mayor of Recoleta Municipality and possible presidential candidate Daniel Jadue tweeted.

Police dispersed larger groups that had gathered in Santiago de Chile's General Cemetery (Cementerio General), where the Memorial to the Disappeared Detainees (Memorial de Los Desaparecidos y Detenidos) of the military dictatorship is located. Law enforcement used water-cannons and brutal force the disperse the marchers.

Anti-riot forces also chased and dispersed marchers in the vicinity of Dignity Square (Plaza Dignidad), a protest hotspot during national social unrest against Sebastian Piñeira's government in 2019 and early 2020.