CHILEAN WOMEN PROTEST (Translated into English)

BE DIFFICULT WOMEN AND PROTEST: MARCH NOT TO PROFIT 28 JUNE 2012

It's hard being a woman and go to protests, especially when you bordeas the thirty or so built a family trying to do. Children who go to high school, daughters-in my case, a degree examination to be held "soon" my degree as a lawyer - thus I say that in Chile this is an extremely long and bureaucratic career-in which you are over five years paying private university, so I'm still leasing and yet I have no home ownership, family problems, marital, work, Transantiago (a horribly undignified transportation system that carries us from one point to another in Santiago, which is quite large - as if we were sheep), debts with high interest rates and usurious, etc..

Clearly it is easier do not know whether more enjoyable stay at home and in the "free time" not yet know what they are, ie the time when most men take off their shoes and sit on the couch of living or throw on the bed watching TV, one is concerned with cleaning the kitchen, the bathroom, changing the sheets, put the clothes into the washer, bathing girls comb, see with your backpack ready for school, do the tasks and help, go to the meeting of trustees, etc. At this very moment, I had to stop and stop writing on the computer to go to the centrifuge program of the washer, because besides being a woman and I live in this society is in a state of constant stress and I know that we are many. And always someone criticizes you for a while you need to be quiet on the internet or do anything for you, more so if this is to protest. The positive thing is that when my husband's family and mine, although they disagree on many things, yes it is consistent with popular demands like most Chileans, and almost "fight" to care for girls and so two of us we could go outside to exercise our right to petition. Yet it is complicated and always have to rely on third parties and their times and decisions.

We have one year out on the streets and standing up night and day, I mean still faced with the police in the caceroleos after being unjustly attacked by them in massive peaceful demonstrations by night, as in the Plaza Brasil for example, and several things have happened to us and many others have done, but today I will to relate the experience of the last student protest on June 28, 2012.

Among all that has happened during this time was to create a digital TV channel, which means filming the protests and then upload them to Internet. That was a long process that had none or very few visual skills, well, another time will tell.

We got up early each day as student protest, the girls stayed the night where my mother lives in Providence and is generally a pretty quiet place in relation to exposure to tear gas to sit at night sometimes, so much about that that is the safest place for them during those days.

We left the house very warm, and despite the trouble we got something back that I stopped at a place to buy a couple of lemons to mitigate the effects of tear gas. Recently, the cops had used little gas, but plenty of toxic water from the guanaco, and greatly increased their police force especially in relation to the number of pickets special forces, included a provision of police on motorcycles and women among them and between special forces or political police as they are known less popularly. There was definitely a change in the modus operandi of police repression and that this is part of a strategy and not a fluke, as well as the student movement also organized them.

The quartermaster had approved it, even made in relation to passage through the Presidential Palace, which is rare, even suspicious to me, they never or rarely allow all fenced and is always around. The student conflict at this time appeared in the press most of the week, regarding a report that the government did not want to publicly disclose what is relevant, evacuated by one of the commissions of the Chamber of Deputies, in which comes to light the large amount of profits earned by private universities in this country illegally, in that list there is a large number of universities and only few of them do not profit from education but reinvest their profits in improving the same houses studies such as the University Academy of Christian Humanism and Arcis, among a few others. For that reason the march was much stronger and we could see later that the defense of the capital of big business was much higher, through the excessive police repression.

We try to advance as we could, as always there were many signs, paintings by university and secondary school young people dressed and press from around the world. But actually move little, it was difficult to walk among so many people. On reaching almost to the street Portugal, a large contingent of police launched a huge amount of tear gas against peaceful march moved by The Alameda, there was not mediated hooded youths provocation from us protesters. Everybody started running, although we have no gas masks, which we badly needed, try to stay in place to make film records, but there came a moment when we began to choke on tear gas and we away a little. Yet the fighting spirit of the people that showed continued, and the vast majority once the gas dissipated somewhat, or at least it was not suffocated breathing or respiratory arrest cario, we resumed the march and marching Alameda, to go through "La Moneda" and then get to the main event consisting of a cultural event where leaders give speeches, as Camila Vallejo, Gabriel Boric, Eloisa Gonzalez, among others, and also artists like the singer Manuel Garcia sing their songs were often chanted between the tear gas.

- All the currency goats - shouted many, perhaps most and continue marching.

Although the course along the main street became a little quieter for a while, not really very long, attacks police car with water cannons, were three or four do not remember, gas and tear gas bombs and all. They became very violent outside of the Currency and a few blocks down. This was surrounded by fences that we spent, like the Plaza of Citizenship which is before the idea was also that we had no way to escape. Although we know that repression is usually made against innocent and peaceful mass of protesters, many times it is clouded by so much injustice and react in different ways, and beyond that if you agree or not, or that there are certain limits cease to be part of a public demonstration, I also believe that all or popular reactions are mostly part of the responsibility of the State of Chile, the only thing it does is criminalize but does not act democratically and listens to his people, so whether structural solve the problem of education as ordered without make-up the system set up only what they have done so far, none of this would happen. Although the majority voted for Piñera (I had to add them because we live in "democracy," because I did not vote for him nor for the Coalition that in some parts of the world believe it was so good), they must take their political defeat and implement the mandate of the people, that's their duty but their ideology advocating the opposite of the demands.

Trying to film everything, including gas, starting sometimes in short, everything you can imagine, my husband met with Javier, a graduate student at the University we work both, whom he once took from the control prison detention was unjustly arrested by police in a protest. The cops were evacuating the university and the authorities decided to do for the safety of students through a side door, Javier few seconds after he was beaten out with a retractable baton paco special forces, and he once being in the ground kicked him in the knee to defend themselves. That's why I stopped and wanted to condemn, but came out with an alternative measure and the judge ordered some precautionary measures something ridiculous like that could not be closer to the station, which prevented him to go look for his backpack and other personal effects that were there because of the arrest.

He was with us all the time and seemed interested in our films, usually when one makes audio recordings and meets these people get bored and go quickly, or one must take to make any decision about what is happening and can not continue talking to that person.

In a moment she stood in a corner, to be honest I forget which, but for the Alameda a couple of blocks down from the Government Palace and the skunk rodeo all around us, I avoided as much as I could start to make good audio recordings, as we are concerned that everyone is aware of the injustice that we live in Chile, even had a band that played a sort of batucada with drums, trumpets and other musical instruments. We hid them behind a newsstand was closed, shut down all trade generally near the route where they will spend the marches, but we surrounded the skunk throwing tear gas everywhere. Thankfully not so muffled I could run to a street near the band and they began to sing and play their instruments being returned to Alameda. Later I learned that my sister chance you are in first year of college also hid behind the same kiosk, but meanwhile we never saw chaos.

I called my husband by phone to know where he was, he replied that in the middle of the Alameda floe with Javier and I waved but I did not see them.

- Stay there, we'll find that I said or at least understood. But they lingered long, at that time must be very fast for everything.

At that moment, a group of hooded men tried to loot a pharmacy and some people talked about whether we agreed or not, I looked to one side and the corner of San Martin and La Alameda had a guanaco waiting for the right moment to repress . Amongst the people we spoke on the topic had underage girls together, maybe have some fifteen years. The hooded youths threw stones at the curtain of the pharmacy and we revotaban to us, I covered the girls and immediately went to suppress the guanaco, obviously, but we were just standing in one corner we also get wet by having two jets with which throws a lot of water and can operate independently. Could have run, that was the most intelligent, but I thought of my daughters and they would by themselves in that situation, obviously have not idea. We got three in a row and I opened my big black umbrella, we affirm two refuge in him as one of the girls tried to open his own that was clogged. At that time we dipped mercilessly guanaco, unworthily without stopping, move or stop by the enormous water pressure. The umbrella was spinning, luckily the other girl did in April his, one began to mourn for the despair that we were not allowed to wet and toxic water that burned us all over.

- Affirm the umbrella and put his face to the wall, I told them almost as a mandate, then the difference in age and experience involves a kind of hierarchy - they do not wet the face - the rest of the body was wet, even underwear.

- Why not do this, they're bitches, said breaking into tears

- We did nothing wrong

For a moment ceased the water and walked the picket line, a cop moved my umbrella was something broken, must have been good quality that do not know how resisted. And we looked

- We can take the girl yelled crying-we are not doing anything wrong

Then he left.

- Believe me, they can, I said.

- But how?

- Not that the law allows, because so far no, but they do the same. Believe me, I've taken several times detained in police stations, I am a graduate of law.

Then went the guanaco, and each ran to where I had to go, just said goodbye by adrenaline, but I felt good but was very wet help and it was very cold.

I crossed and my husband and I waited Javier.

- I thought you would take, I was surprised that whith

Then my husband Javier continued to act, I went to change clothes after he had to go to work, the University joined the strike but only until three. In addition we had to see if students were arrested for anger regain their freedom.

A Carlos and Javier will cost to get to the ceremony, had left the leaders and leading artists. Yet even the cops continued to repress wet stage and amplification equipment used for the main event.

I then went to look and Carlos went to work together, although I was drying her hair and changed his clothes, they hurt the ears and had them covered, also broke my lips with tear gas, but that always happens to me.

When I walked into my house wet, purple from cold and somewhat dizzy, people offered me help and gave me strength, shouting things for students, that made me feel good by showing that we are a large majority that we agreement to change education and our society.

In the evening we saw the news, we learned that over 400 detainees, fortunately none of the University, and that the police were overwhelmed, especially the Third of Santiago. We also learned the official figures: police said was attended by thirty thousand people worldwide that the demonstration were a hundred fifty thousand in Santiago and many thousands more in regions, even in places that never move as San Antonio. We hear statements from the governor and the Minister of Interior, which made ​​us think that all this repression was part of an unscrupulous plan to give more speed to the bill that is pending, which seeks to criminalize protest.

Sandra Beltrami.

FIRST chapter: HIDROAYSÉN

It was a cloudy day of the year 2011, in Santiago, the capital of Chile. I can't remember the date, but i think it was in the month of April. That night some environmental organizations had convoked protested internet, was the second stage of this week. Although many years and we were many people we had and we change, nothing seems to reality in relation to the little popular support of social and political organizations not linked to the central power. 

I remember that it was a friday and i don't know what i above. Some friends met at the university to go to protest, in the last years the protests were a call close to the three thousand people in general and never had nothing new for that don't we did not even small scratches the political system. 

I went to the meeting point "Plaza Italia", symobolic place where the gains in the football and the protest. To reach i found my friends that came from the university, Jonathan and Laly a couple younger than i who i appreciate, because i don't think that the age difference in the way in order to perform deep links of friendship, she said that i was his "mama" of the university and even if i don't believe that old (i have 30 years), i took the "title" whit friendship .

At 18:30 PM, in Plaza Italia was full of people, moving from one place to another, i never saw something like that it was amazing, Chile was waking up. I tried to walk to with someone else with my friends but it was impossible in spite of that we Communicate through the cell phone. After while mobilization began to move along the most important street of the country "la Alameda", slowly the crush of people and of the fence laid by the authorities that we are confined together even more with each other, the idea of the government was to make sure we took the la vereda norte only and that by the south pass vehicles, but it was not possible, because we peacefully fences dividing the two tracks of the avenue and turn to the other side. Suddenly i met a companion of the university, the truth reminded his name but it was funny, he was looking for her friends, but not found at all, only one. After a while Diego Portales more or less - an important state building symbol of the dictatorship of Pinochet - called me my friend, Karina i saw from the sidewalk in front of you, but the police man -onwards "Pacos"- did not let it to join the march.This partner with whom i found that now i remember that was called Hans helped me to go for it with his friend, while she shouting to the pacos and i heard it through the cell: - ¡let me go! -Scream with one voice and something very scratchy hysterical- ¡this is my right, cannot lamentation pass!!!! - Then she said to press photographers that were standing there - " ¿me aid to jump?- they helped to jump fences and ran un where we tried.

Did for a long time we became good friends. 

- How good you i found - me he said, i had a hard, there are a lot of people and everything is surrounded by The latter pacos who said that'S what i had not seen, but it is not difficult to imagine. 

And it was night and all say and jump and at the same time around 70,000 people "If not you will be jumping Piñera, …If not you will be jumping Piñera … . ", in ancient times screaming "If not you will be jumping Pinochet…" to clear is not the same thing but part of continuity. Catharsis was a massive, spontaneous after many decades of suffering and silence and society.

-Let us take a picture in eu let you and - i told karina- to prosperity, this is a moment in history. - And we are we get one of photography with my celular. I also made film a few seconds effusive with very bad resolution. This was memorable.

But after go slowly por la Alameda for almost an hour, we could not move forward, and we are stuck in the Mall of avenue Portugal. We get close to see what happened, that it was not very difficult to anticipate: three vehicle Strip water cannons -onwards guanacos- two vehicles gas strip -onwards zorrillos - a huge picket pacos, and many autobuses police (for those who are used to mass arrests -onwards micros-pacos - all dark green, or rather the "green paco". We put in front of the police vehicles repressive, around 7 metres. We had not allowed the, our intention to move to the Palace of the Currency and shout Sebastián Piñera in your face on our opposition to all the shit long happens in our country, but it was not possible to reach beyond.

Little by little the guanaco started to launch strip small pressurized water to the mass in order to be frightened, always did the same and the generalized reaction was that the people running or starting to go to fear, but this human mass was not afraid, differed, younger y new .We sat down on the ground and get up your hands in the sign of peace demonstrating to be disarmed, we were 70,000 people sitting in the Alameda screaming and singing "we didn't move… .we are many more", and finally when the jets of water of the guanaco were increasingly greater "paco chicken, fight without guanaco".My friend karina began to come in panic, we were very close to the guanaco and i wanted to get rid increasingly, but she had much fear and it began to make irresistible for her.It was dangerous what we were making and his mother had widowed recently, you might be more sensitive or not wanted to USD 2,000,000 a pain your mother, as it is the situation so i told him outside and not to worry by me, that i would be good.We realized a hug strong and it was. It is difficult to be brave and not all have to be. I had left single, Hans we are also had lost and we realized. The punishment would start at any time because of the pacos in any minute would allow them to the Order of the Minister of the Interior of Rodrigo Hinzpeter attack with all his strength. I have to admit that i was also fear, above all because she was alone. I lift the ground of soil and i walked to the left, i.e. i went to the subway station of the Catholic University, thinking about that that would be the only place where it could start to street, but i was still less than 10 metres from the pacos. I looked at my around and the only thing that i saw was so many people and strategically pacos, there would be where they leave at the beginning of the police, not a place fair at least. It was in this when i am with my fellow Jonathan and Laly, the firefighters and i was too much happiness to see you.

- How do you found me? -I asked - when we glossed here we met the karina that is coming home and we were told that you were here. In this moment the guanaco began to bed-wetting ruthlessly to many of the people who were sitting on the ground, the problem of water of the truck is that you throw at the chemical which tear apart from the strong congestion nasal and bronquial, also you cannot see for a while if you come in the face. That'S why we back to that we came water in the face. Incredibly, in spite of that people don't moved and still singing the same cries when it is usual to them to run at high-speed when strip water the guanaco.Then, the police man desperate without knowing how deter this peaceful demonstration, began to throw tear gas between agglomerated crowd which was still sitting on the ground with his hands on high. - Do not move! - We were shouting out all so that people don't squeeze, as many began to stand up and try to get out. But, so many were the use of tear gas that launched between the crowd, that the air was stifling and we also we had to move along with the earth that was terrified by not being able to breathe, viewed, or flee. We could not walk, the closest thing was the metro station was closed with a huge grille that the toward a fortress, the only option was to climb up a ladder that we didn't know where it took us. In a moment I looked back and saw to my friends for the last time, I grasp to a lemon that bringing that walked a minimum and insignificant gave me relief to suction it out and with my other hand trying to affirm my portfolio. My respiratory system was completely collapsed, my heart we were all agog heavily, look behind and my friends were no longer. Try to keep walking, but treading on other feet of people that was both or more suffocating that i, i had to say of a person who did not know for not tumble on the floor. I heard only my heart throb strongly, i thought of my daughters i need to live together after fight for a better society, he knew that if i faint or if i got a cardio respiratory arrest at the time, no one would help me, not because they wanted to, but because they did not have the means to do so in the meantime gas, probably die crushed. Help me, help me! I told a young man who was taking it to my side of the arm, i grabbed the strong shoulder, suddenly I was unable to open the eyes and I noticed that he also cried in terror. We went up about ten steps of the unknown ladder, what brought us some fresh air, all we breathe deeply at the same time and that gave us strength to follow, but we were still desperate by the lack of oxygen. Many people began to throw down ladder, were about three meters, i reminded of the sprain that chronic sufferer in my right foot, which i would prevent to continue booting. Look at the end of the stairs and saw a thick black coulter with tines that many jumped, were younger than me, and i not able to do so. Then along with about ten people, I did something that had never imagined, that as i did the offenders and not students like me: quieted him coulter to break it and open it in order to be able to boot. Many people ran in a unknown roof of a building, the polices mans to see us, threw bombs we were fleeing toward the roof with their special bazookas for tear gas. I barely breathed only ran, until you find out that I had any other coulter, but a giant bully throwing was responsible for breaking it. Arrive at a plaza in the middle of a condo without power to keep running, the fatigue i had shot, i couldn't move. I lean on the wall of a building while the people were booting of the picket, the guanaco, the skunks and especially the tear that fell from a high altitude by surprise. In that they gave me very eager to go pee-pee, a girl approached me and told me that she could cover my with your coat, my embarrased, but actually did not have any alternative. At that time appeared the picket and the girl from the shelter started, I stick to the wall and not saw me, or perhaps they ignored me. 

After a while I called my fellow Jonathan and Laly, were hidden in a department in the same Translated into Englishcondo, so that I was able to pee and have a drink of water. When we took the stairs they were thrown down, and helped a child of five years to escape with their parents, which is why we opened the door in that department. Laly the dive ladder down he fractured his foot and was limping. Even so we walked around the side streets that were filled with barricades, but when we thought that everything had been completed we realized that most of the demonstrators were in the facade of the Currency the presidential palace. A few minutes later we were attacked with the skunks and we hid in a pizzeria, already that Laly could not run and it wasn't just abandon it to the midst of adversity.

Sandra Beltrami Montero