Power to the People, Stick it to the Man

This was the scene outside the building I was living in during my 5 week stay in Santiago, Chile. After coming back from my usual stroll around the city, I was shocked to return to the scene of appeared to be madness and civil unrest.

When I originally posted these pictures on facebook, I called this event "Locura y Libertad", which is translated into english "Madness and Freedom". At first glance I had no clue as to what was going on.

The morning that I left my apartment building in the neighborhood known as Cal y Canto for my stroll I notice something slightly peculiar going on. I noticed that the front door entrance of the building was being boarded up with plywood. After living 10 plus years in South Florida, the only time I ever saw plywood being nailed to doors or windows was when a hurricane was passing by.

I didn't think to much about it, I just went about my business and headed to the city center to do my normal sightseeing and people watching. Actually now that I remember I did ask a Chilean outside the building what was going on but since I had a difficult time understanding Chilean Spanish, I was still clueless.

As I got closer to my building after my stroll, I inevitable noticed the scene of thousands of young people in the street. I felt an energy unlike any I have felt before. As a curious person by nature, I wanted to know what the hell was going on.

This was the scene for several blocks. I fought to get thru the crowd to get to my building. I finally arrived to the corner of my street and I thought to myself "What The Fuck"

Finally I found out what was happening, it was a student protest. The university students were protesting for the right for free education. Like in most societies, the rich get richer and the poor get poorer and this reality was no different.

Now I can't say I agree that Education is a valid reason for protesting. SInce I am an Anarchist, I see education as just another form oppression. In my opinion protesting for Education is like protesting to get educated so that one can reach a more comfortable level of slavery. Which to some extent makes sense because no one wants to be poor, hungry, live in the Ghetto and have no future.

But in the bigger picture Education is not the way to becoming a free society. And having to fight someone for something is actually agreeing that they are your master and that you accept there mastery over you and you are stating you want to have more rights and equality as a Slave.

The only way to break free from slavery is to say fuck the system, We don't need you. We don't need your laws, your stupid laws, your useless education that maintains and supports a Monetary support that benefits a few and cause famine for the majority.

That being said, witnessing people protesting for something, even if I don't completely agree shows signs of hope and life. What I witnessed in my first 2 weeks in Chile, I had never witnessed in my 35 years in the United States.

Derecho a la Rebelde means "The Right to Rebel". So at the bare minimum I was witnessing a spirit that existed in the Chilean people that seems to be completely non existent in the US Americans. If I would to sum up Humanity and compare it to a sick person I would say the United States is a stage 4 cancer patient on it's death bed. Compared to the Chileans who were still in critical condition but showed some fight and potentially a semblance of a possible recoverer.

In the USA, the only time you see any real emotion from people is when there favorite sports wins or losses or when the people almost riot and trample each other like a herd of cattle trying to buy useless shit on Black Friday in a local Walmart or Best Buy. Of course there are exceptions to this rule as from to time to you do see some citizens trying to fight the system. But no where close to the level of awareness in Chile.

In Santiago on a daily basis in Places like Plaza De Armas you will find protestors trying to fight the Banks and passing out anti government literature. So the Spirit of Revolution exist here, not only here but in many parts of South America.

Since I wasn't able to get into my building, I decided to join the party. Or at least get a closer look at the action.

Witnessing this kind of action by civilians gave me a hard on. It was exhilarating and I loved every minute of it. You had some people like me just by standards of the destruction and others who were the protagonist like the guys pictured with the shirts wrapped around there faces like the Taliban. They destroyed street signs, lights, bus stations, pretty much everything in site.

I said to my said Holy Shit, this would never go down in the US. Or if it did there would be Police in Riot gear trying to put order to the Chaos.

And low and behold, guess who showed up to the party!

Yup the boys in blue in Full Riot gear. Now the energy got even more intense as I didn't know what was next.
I just hung around waiting to see what the crowd was going to do. Next thing you know the tanks started spraying. I didn't know if it was gas or water but to be on the say side the crowd took off like the running of the bulls in Spain. I for one had not done any physical activity since I tore my MCL a few weeks earlier playing soccer in South Florida. Well I guess this was the test my knee needed, I took off like a bat in the number. I'm happy to say my knee felt good as I jumped to the head of the crowd.

So once a few blocks up, the party continued. This time I was surrounded by crowds of students playing drums, with a proper director blowing his whistle to control the band. It was like a big celebration and I was so happy to be a part of it.

This had to be one of the best moments of my life, I can't recall feeling such an adrenaline rush.

That being said, what doesn't make sense is why are we running from them and not vice versa. We are the majority, we have numbers, why are we such cowards? How come were not chasing them.

The truth is we the people have the power to change the World and Touch the sky if we Unite. If we choose compassion over currency, Love over Fear.

Again the Police drew near and again the crowd evacuated.

After this things started to wind down. The party was now coming to close.
Was the event a success, possibly. This story took place in October 2013. In January 2016 some laws were passed to make Education for some Chileans from poor backgrounds.

I finally got back to my apartment 2 hours after the fact. I was 2 weeks into my South American adventure and Escape and already had experienced more life then I ever did in my 10 years living in South Florida.

I thought to myself, this is just the beginning and the best is yet to come. Oh indeed that is the case, not just for me but for all us who stand up to the oppression and lies of the so called Masters.

To quote Bob Marley

Get Up Stand Up, Stand Up for your rights, Get up Stand Up, Don't Believe the Hype.

One Love