i've seen people throw rocks, launch sticks, glass bottles and whatever else down here. every year the public sector strikes, demanding a percentage increase to their wages. and when one person protests, everyone else starts. one day i saw public workers, santa isabel (a grocery store) workers and some other unidentified, yet organized, group (all within a block of each other). point is... the protest spirit is alive and in full-effect here... as it is NOT in the USA.
the carabineros definitely quell protests as they become loud or out of control but i've also seen the police get their asses kicked by fleites. i couldn't imagine what US police would do to someone who was legitimately throwing serious blows in their direction. in chile, people join the protests on their lunch break, informally. others, fully invested and organized go for the whole day. those striking, of course, aren't working at all. is it fair to say protests are open and available to chileans on a scale they aren't to americans?
there are examples from both that disprove my points (US protestors who become violent, carabineros who apply excessive force when it is hardly called for) but the main feeling remains. the culture surrounding protest in chile is much more the in-thing and certainly less-militarized. the fact we have gotten to the point where we're using sound cannons really highlights the fact that not only does the US government STILL subdue the masses but is now literally saying, shut up! we don't want to hear you speak. don't you think?
