Labor protests turn violent
It was the worst outbreak of violence Chile had seen since the brutal overthrow of Marxist President Salvador Allende by the military regime of Augusto Pinochet 9½ years ago. It began last Wednesday as a peaceful Day of Protest over the country's desperate economic straits and quickly flared into widespread rioting. Three hundred police and militia fought about 1,500 protesters for control of downtown Santiago. By Thursday authorities had finally restored order, but at a tragic price: two civilians had been killed, 150 protesters were injured and 600 arrested.
Trouble had been brewing for weeks. Earlier this month...
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