Streetart and protest in Chile | M3 Dialogue

Protest and street art in Santiago de Chile

2 Feb. 2020

By Lennart Rogenhofer, Julneth Martinez Atencio and Julius Rogenhofer

Click on the images to view their descriptions.

In the suburb Maipu a puppet of Chilean President Pinera hangs in front of a vandalised train station. A sign on his waist says "Asesino", meaning murderer.

Police are characterised as murderers and rapists on graffiti downtown.

Above the slogan "pots against bullets is not war" life seems to continue as normal. The banging of pots is a common for of protest across Latin America.

This wall shows alleged victims of what is referred to as a murderous state as well as calls for justice.

This wall showcases calls for a new society.

This wall raises a range of issues from police brutality to femicide and the right to choose.

Womans issues coincide with a focus on eyes. Dozens of protesters were blinded by Chilean police in violent crackdowns on the protests.

The sacred tree of Chile, araucaria araucana, is part of Chile's national heritage. It is used by the protesters to highlight alleged abuses comitted by the government.

The topics adressed by the protesters are diverse.

The Mata Paco (Cop Killer) Dog has, for many, become a symbol of the protests in Chile.

The black Chilean flag represents dismay at the government.

Pictures from portesters' Instagram accounts are shared offline.

Medical students volunteer to help those injured during the protests. On the other side of the road pavement stones have been removed for use as projectiles against police.

Protesters clash with police in central Chile.

As police and protesters clash, ordinary urban life continues around them.

Water cannons are used against the protesters.

Journalists from various news platforms are identified and labelled as liars. Artwork like this suggests a divergence between protesters experiences and national news coverage.

Police are depicted as violent and agressive.

A focus on eyes coincides with allegations that the press is bought.

As this sign suggests, protests and crackdowns upon them have had a heavy toll on local businesses, many of which were torched.