Politics Riots at student protest in Chile
Demonstrators and police officers have engaged in violent clashes during student protests in Chile. The police used water cannons and tear gas against the protesting students, as seen on television. Individual demonstrators hurled objects at the officers.
03.06.2026, 20:19
SDA
The protests under the slogan "Education is defended in the streets" were directed against planned budget cuts in the education sector. The ultra-conservative President José Antonio Kast had recently announced cuts amounting to the equivalent of 180 million euros, particularly in higher education. "Education is a right and we cannot stand idly by while measures are taken that threaten our universities and affect students, workers and families," the student association said in a statement.
Students had already played an important role in the social protests at the end of 2019. At that time, thousands of people took to the streets every day to demand better access to healthcare and education and a rejection of the neoliberal economic system. More than 30 people lost their lives.
