Chile capital hit by violent protests over metro fare hikes; state of emergency declared

[Valin]

Fox News

Oct. 192019

Subway service in Chile's capital was suspended Friday, trapping hundreds of thousands of commuters on their way home from work, after high school students flooded subway stations, jumping turnstiles, dodging fares and vandalizing stations as part of protests against a fare hike.

By nightfall, the protests had extended throughout Santiago with students setting up barricades and fires at the entrances to subway stations. Television images showed students and others attacking police vehicles, throwing stones and burning at least one bus, along with scenes of destruction and shattered glass inside various metro stations.

Police who had been trying to break up the protests with tear gas withdrew from some subway stations.

As midnight passed, President Sebastián Piñera announced a state of emergency in affected areas, allowing authorities to restrict rights to assembly and movement.

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