Under Seige

It is hard to over state the tension that exists between the people and the government of Chile.

Walking the streets of the city during the daytime is deceiving. Everything seems normal until you begin to notice small things, like the anti-government graffiti sprayed on almost every building and the boarded up buildings.

This bank, near the presidential palace, has its windows boarded to protect against violence during nightly street protests not to cover previous damage. The picture was taken on New Year’s Day. Authorities had been expecting trouble the night before. There were protests on New Year’s Eve, but they took place in another part of town.

Protests against the government and in favor of a new constitution began in October of last year.