SANTIAGO, CHILE – The Chilean student movement’s latest national mobilization brought thousands of students to the streets of the capitol Santiago on Wednesday. At least 50 students were reported to have been arrested.

This video report from Santiago was contributed to Unicorn Riot.

Protests blocked traffic in front of the presidential palace for more than two hours. Police special forces aggressively arrested protesters, many of whom were high school students. Some protesters fought back by lighting flaming barricades and throwing rocks.

Chilean students have been fighting for free, quality, K-12 and university education for eleven years. Though the the administration of current Chilean President Michelle Bachelet has begun implementing minor reforms, the Chilean student movement, la Confederación de Estudiantes de Chile (CONFECH) continues to demand an overhaul of the constitution and the privatized education system put in place by the former U.S.-backed dictator Augusto Pinochet.

CONFECH materials for the mobilizations were tagged #AsíGanaChile: “This is how Chile wins.”

Video contributed by Jtree, edited by Dan.

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