The Indigenous peoples' march organized for the Day of the Encounter of Two Worlds ended this Monday, October 12, with 17 arrests in Santiago. The arrests followed disturbances involving isolated groups on Alameda.
According to Cooperativa, the demonstration brought together hundreds of people under the slogan "in resistance for autonomy and demilitarization". The route began at Santa Lucía Hill, near the Metro station of the same name, and continued along Alameda. A machitún, the traditional ceremony of the Mapuche people, was held during the day.
According to La Tercera, Carabineros reported that at 11:45 the march was proceeding normally, apart from isolated groups damaging public and private property. Forty-five minutes later, at 12:30, the force reported that its personnel had used chemical agents to restore public order "because of the acts of violence". Cooperativa added that police also used water.
The march was organized by the Unión de los Pueblos 12 de Octubre assembly. Its demands included protecting the Lafkenche Law, which allows Indigenous communities to request control over coastal marine areas. It also called for decriminalizing coca leaves and recognizing the revitalization of Indigenous languages as a right.
Catalina Pichihueche, coordinator of the Secretariat for Solidarity with Oppressed Peoples (Sesopo), demanded autonomy and sovereignty for Indigenous peoples over their territories. She also called for an end to militarization and the state of emergency in Wallmapu, as Mapuche territory is known. The leader also demanded freedom for Mapuche political prisoners and an end to lengthy sentences.
Alison, a student from Calama in the Antofagasta Region, raised an education-related demand. She said there are 139,380 higher education students and that the Indigenous scholarship does not reach everyone who needs it, leaving many facing financial difficulties in continuing their studies.
Alihuen Antileo Navarret, another attendee, expressed her support for the Indigenous peoples of Latin America who, she said, resist "fascism disguised as progressive and far-right fascism".
The sources do not specify what charges the 17 people arrested will face or whether they will be brought before a pretrial court.
