Chilean President Sebastian Pinera on Monday strongly condemned the burning of two churches and other violence that marred anti-government demonstrations as the nation prepares to hold a landmark constitutional referendum.
Police said they had arrested nearly 600 people as a peaceful demonstration on Sunday to mark the anniversary of social protests descended into rioting and looting, including the burning of two Catholic churches in Santiago.
Pinera said tens of thousands of people had demonstrated peacefully, blaming “a minority of criminals who unleashed a wave of violence, looting and vandalism, including the burning of two churches of high historical and heritage value.”
Photo: EPA-EFE
“This criminal action must be condemned by all of us who believe in democracy and want to live in peace,” the conservative president said. “And we must condemn not only those who directly execute criminal violence, but also those who, in one way or another, promote, protect or justify it.”
Police stations were attacked as the authorities recorded 107 serious incidents nationwide while rioting continued overnight, Chilean Ministry of the Interior Undersecretary Juan Francisco Galli said.
The demonstration came just a week before Chileans are to vote in a referendum on whether to replace the dictatorship-era constitution — one of the key demands when the protest movement began in October last year.
Photo: Reuters
Pinera has called for massive voter turnout for Sunday’s referendum.
Sunday’s violence erupted after about 30,000 protesters flocked to Santiago’s central Plaza Italia for a peaceful demonstration, the government said.
However, as the afternoon wore on, clashes broke out on the periphery of the square.
One church close to Plaza Italia was burned to the ground as hooded protesters cheered, while a second place of worship was looted and also suffered fire damage.
Clashes also occurred in other neighborhoods of Santiago and in cities around the country.
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