We’ve lived so long under the spell of hierarchy—from god-kings to feudal lords to party bosses—that only recently have we awakened to see not only that “regular” citizens have the capacity for self-governance, but that without their engagement our huge global crises cannot be addressed. The changes needed for human society simply to survive, let alone thrive, are so profound that the only way we will move toward them is if we ourselves, regular citizens, feel meaningful ownership of solutions through direct engagement. Our problems are too big, interrelated, and pervasive to yield to directives from on high.
—Frances Moore Lappé, excerpt from Time for Progressives to Grow Up

Monday, July 2, 2012

Fresh student protests in Chile

Click here to access videos and photos from Eagainst. 
More than 100.000 Chilean students and workers demonstrated in the capital Santiago, demanding free education for all. The protesters walked in front of the Presidential Palace, La Moneda, and the Ministry of Education.
The Confederation of Chilean Students (Confech) accused the police of suppressing the massive march with attacks and tear gas, despite the fact that they had committed themselves not to intervene.
The main motto of the Chilean students protest was: “For a country of equality we should all fight. Free public education to change society”.
Chilean students rival Quebec students in their militant fight-backs against the militarized enforcers of the One Percent. It appears that the Chilean police state relies more on armored vehicles than numbers of police on the streets in contrast to what I have seen in the US and Canada.  

I wonder what Harvard graduate, former NY Times journalist Chris Hedges would have to say about this. No doubt he would prefer a candlelight march at night with participants singing Kumbaya.

For more background on this struggle, see this, this, and this.
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