Anti-APEC day 2, Santiago, CHILE
author: Loto 20.Nov.2004 04:44 http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2004/11/303975.shtml"FFEE line the corner behind fences with an entry break so they can move in. A McDonalds is attacked at the corner with rocks, sticks, and paint bombs. Further down a Banco Santander is smashed and molotoved. Later on several molotovs would hit and the bank would be seriously damaged. Volunteers for the social forum try and sequester activists involved in the "violence"."
November 19th, Friday
Coordinated and Authorized march from Parque Almagro to Parque Bustamante 11am:
We take the metro from Escuela Militar to Santa Isabel and group with friends. 10 in all, we make our way to the long line of marchers gathered. Thousands. Media and protesters will later put the number between 15 and 30 thousand, some speculate 45 thousand. A large communist presence, as well as Anarchist, pacifist, humanist, and of course the Social Forum. The march begins. Usual march. Spray cans appear, decorating the already tagged walls. The Santiago sun blares down and water is precious. Groups form around hoses and scarce fountains. Farther down and around a corner near the KIA dealership, the road widens, and a group of FFEE (special forces police) are attacked by demonstrators hurling glass bottles and rocks. The scuffle is quick and a gas grenade launcher appears, but isn't used and the attackers move on farther up the avenue. Sirens, shouts, the armored black jeeps followed by a guanaco and paddy wagon race along the side of the march, thinning the line of marchers nearby as they disperse not knowing what to expect. The vehicles park, silent. An acid bomb pops loudly. Ahead the march turns again along the predetermined route. At the turn are amassed 10 or so black vehicles, lanza-gas (gas trucks that shoot gas), guanaco, paddy wagons and black jeeps. FFEE line the corner behind fences with an entry break so they can move in. A McDonalds is attacked at the corner with rocks, sticks, and paint bombs. Further down a Banco Santander is smashed and molotoved. Later on several molotovs would hit and the bank would be seriously damaged. Volunteers for the social forum try and sequester activists involved in the "violence". Scuffles between police. FFEE take over in front of the bank. Further up the march continues and supporters in high rise apartments spray water hoses from the 15th floor and dump pitchers of water on greatful protesters. The march chokes up as pearched protesters wait for the next sprinkle. The march reaches parque Bustamante. Music and art. People buy food from the street vendors who come out for marches and target the hungry audience. Of course they support whatever brings the people out.
2pm The authorization for the gathering ends, and lacrimogena (gas) is released. Lemons and handkercheifs appear. A portion of the crowd suddenly shifts and a the police are heavily engaged by 800 or more masked fighters. Gas is thick. Guanacos move in. Barricades are formed from anti-riot fencing and benches are torn out of the park to fill the roads. Molotovs and rocks are thrown. The gas becomes unbearable, literally blinding and I feel my way out down a side street between quick blinks of vision, the perifery of my eyes on fire. The battle continues throughout the afternoon. A LIDER supermarket would later be looted and damaged, and other banks attacked. Press would later say that 150 arrests were made throughout the day.
9pm Bush arrives to the Hyatt Regency in a bulletproof, bioproof, nuclearproof SUV (according to press) and avenues are cut off for his arrival. At the same time riots spark in the poblaciones (poor barrios) near la Reina and power is knocked out by the rioters.
The official Summit of APEC 2004 has begun.