Chile: massive student protest and strike …

Thousands of protesters began to focus this afternoon on Santiago squares as part of the general strike unleashed by social organizations and unions to support the students' claim against the increase in the subway ticket. "Let the militia go" and "Chile is awake!", Shouted the protesters in front of the central police station, in front of the police station organized as part of a large security operation in the center of the Chilean capital, which continues urgently

The new general strike was called after a weekend of violent demonstrations and with the city completely militarized. More than twenty Social organizations called to demonstrate in favor of the student's demand and denounce "the repression and the use of excessive force" exercised by the carabineros. The number of victims rose to ten Sunday night after the discovery of two bodies burned in the fire of a supermarket of industrial products.

The second curfew ordered by President Sebastián Piñera ended Monday at 9 am, with a considerable police and military deployment in the streets of the city. he The Santiago Metro has partially opened one of its lines after being totally paralyzed since Friday when the demonstrations began to rise in the passage.

Although the government has announced that in addition to metro line 1, which runs through the Chilean capital from east to west, municipal and interurban microphones would be available to meet transport demand, social organizations have called for a general strike emphasizing that The call is not to go to work to "fight and walk with the youngsters".

"Because it's not fair for students, it's for our fathers and mothers. For our grandmothers. This is for all human rights abuses and violations, for the repression against the just struggle of the people, for the dignity of life, we say loud and clear # PiñeraRenuncia, "said the Federation students from the University of Chile.

Piñera had said last night that his government was "at war with a powerful enemy", which is why the president has decreed the state of emergency in the city of Santiago and in nine other regions of the country. Due to social pressure, the president had to overthrow with the increase of the metro price which went from 800 pesos to 830 ($ 1.7).

The call to the general strike

The Confederation of Chilean Students (Confech) called for the mobilization of this Monday, to demand "decent and quality public transport" and to express "that we will not accept more abuse". Young people, gathered in both the Confederation and other student entities, and with the support of social and labor organizations, were called upon to "catch again and flee" the subway stations.

The protest was triggered by the rise of the metro ticket, but the epidemic of social violence triggered the widespread repudiation against the Piñera government's economic policies. "A large part of our families must live with the minimum income," said the students before the new appeal, which highlighted the plight of pensioners with "unworthy pensions" granted under the AFP system.

"It is difficult for our families to suffer unjustified increases in the transportation system, which does not provide decent conditions when travel is overcrowded. Connectivity is very bad, especially in rural areas and extreme regions of the country. There is no frequency consistent with the demand and delivery of poor working conditions, "said the students.

Monday's call for a strike also underlines that, in recent years, mobilization on the national territory "has become increasingly expensive because of the constant increase of the toll" on the concession roads and "accumulates great fortunes with this robbery protected by the governments ".

Finally, Confech repudiated the crackdown and the use of "excessive" force during the week-end by the police, who fired tear gas at the subway stations. The students also joined the demand of the underground workers who demand to nationalize the service and remove the police stations.