Toma Update.

So, the toma is still in session.
on Thursday, June 16th, there was a national protests by students fighting for a free education. The protest started at 10:30am and was pretty peaceful in the morning...mostly just a ton of students in the plaza/streets with signs.

students in the streets.

I did not go to this protest. I was in the ISA office working on my presentation for class from 10am-2pm. Around 1:30pm things started getting crazy. Students were running through the streets. The tear gas and water guns were coming out in full force. I made it to my class safely across the street and up to my class room to set up for my presentation. There were about people in the class, and they almost wanted to cancel it because of the craziness that was happening outside, but i wanted to get it over with, so we stayed and i did my presentation. It went well! Yay, so now only 6  more projects/papers to finish until the end of the semester.

When it came time to leave the classroom things were getting crazy. The tear gas was so strong that i could feel it as soon as i stepped out into the streets. There was a huge police truck coming down the side street that we exited out on, and police were jumping out in full armor and taking people down at random. We were quickly ushered back into the building so that nothing would happen to us, and the police truck passed.

water truck. Spraying kids. Students ran into the buildings for protection. 

kid being sprayed.

tear gas truck.

This tear gas is VERY strong. It is illegal in most other countries and it is a very common tactic for the police here in Chile. That gas stayed in the air for a very long time. I went out to the bars last night in Valpo and on the way home we could still feel the affects. we were sneezing on the bus ride home.

Dylan, Amie, and I walking back from class. I am behind amie... i have my black fleece on. Luckily i had my scarf so i could cover my nose and mouth from the gas. 

We made it to the ISA building safely, and went up on the balcony to see what was going on. Outside of the office there were a pack of police officers in full riot gear.

police.

They were not playing around. A peaceful 2 girls walked into the streets with signs and they quickly shut that down. 

police moving the sign.

It was a pretty intense day. Overall i felt pretty safe even though all of this craziness was happening around me. We were all in ISA until Lizette told us to go home, which barely getting any sleep the night before because of my project, i was happy to head home and take a nap!

A bunch of us walked to the metro and headed home. It was packed. It seemed so weird to have such commotion on one side of the ISA office, and then one block over it was normal with the same clown dressed up with balloons as boobs trying to entertain the people at the red light. Craziness.

I made it home and took a nap, and that was the end to a crazy day....until we hit the bars at night in Valpo. I'm contemplating if i want to expose the pictures that were taking that night. We will see.

Overall. Great day. Very CHILEAN!