Yesterday, around 200-300 people marched through the streets of Sydney, Gadigal, to demand the resignation of the Chilean president, Sebastián Piñera, who is currently overseeing a violent crackdown on protesters in the Chilean capital, Santiago.
There have been reports of mass disappearings, killings and many injuries across Chile as demonstrators push for economic equality, political freedoms and greater rights for the indigenous Mapuche peoples. The latest estimations are that 20 people have been killed so far and more than 1300 injured. There has been a long history in Chile of persecution and genocide of the Mapuche, including in recent times.
The Chilean diaspora in Sydney is significant, swelled in numbers by those who have fled Chile over decades, especially during the Pinochet dictatorship in the 1970s and 80s.
Yesterday’s march started at Sydney Town Hall and was led by Mapuche flags and accompanied by traditional Mapuche instruments. It ended in Belmore Park where speeches were made denouncing the right-wing Chilean government of Piñera and pledging solidarity with other current civilian movements across the world, including with the Kurds in the Middle East, the protest movement in Catalonia, the current situation in Lebanon, and with the ongoing struggle in Hong Kong and elsewhere.
The day ended with music and dance at Belmore Park, a celebration of culture and community.
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