Protest against Chile dam plan ends in violence

[Judi Lynn]

Protest against Chile dam plan ends in violence
By EVA VERGARA
The Associated Press
updated 5/20/2011 11:43:44 PM ET 2011-05-21T03:43:44

SANTIAGO, Chile — Tens of thousands of people massed in the center of Chile's capital Friday night for new protests against the government's plan to dam two wild rivers in the country's southern Patagonia region.

Most demonstrators were peaceful, but bands of hooded protesters attacked police and smashed shop windows and damaged other property along a 10-block stretch of Santiago's main avenue.

The protesters started at the Plaza Italia and walked peacefully to the front of La Moneda presidential palace, carrying flags and banners denouncing the hydroelectric project that was approved for Patagonia on May 9.

At that point, hundreds of masked people began throwing rocks at police, who responded with water cannons and tear gas. The masked bands tore off metal bars and scaffolding timbers to use against police, trashed stores, wrecked signs and set fire to trash piles.

More:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43118024/ns/us_news-environment/

[rabs]

1. Skewed reporting as usual

Was reading El Mercurio version last night. It reported that 40,000 people had marched from the Plaza Italia (gathering place for demonstrations, soccer celebrations, etc) to the La Moneda. The march was peaceful.

Mercurio reported at at the end, about 30 maleantes (thugs who always show up at these events) had created disturbances. They were dispersed by water cannon and tear gas (the government reversed its decision earlier this week to NOT use tear gas against demostrators).

So that means that about 39,970 people demonstrated peacefully, and 30 caused problems.

The AP's Eva Vergara is following the same script as El Mercurio (highly supportive of Pinera and hence the HydroAysen project).

Think there are demonstrations set to be held today when Pinera gives his State of the Union message in Valparaiso.

[rabs]

2. Photos from Valpo today

http://www.emol.com/MundoGrafico/index.asp?G_ID=18356

From El Mercurio. There are 31 photos, most of them of Pinera and only a handful of some demonstrators being detained. Mercurio does not show (as write this) the demonstration outside the Congress building.

Some opposition congressmen tried to unfurl a banner against HydroAysen during Pinera's speech and looks like a litte scuffle ensued.

[Judi Lynn]

3. Interesting. The 1st thing in my mind was the agents provocateur we have seen time after time,

in various places.

The most hilarious one I've heard of was the one in Canada, in which older union people were protesting, and a small group of "protesters" showed up in matching disguises, with their faces covered, and started yelling, and carrying on, etc.

The real protesters started telling the police these guys were phonies immediately. Then they moved forward to confront the "protesters" who walked up to hide behind the police. Somehow a scuffle ensued, and one of them fell down, and they were able to get good photos of him, and saw the bottoms of his shoes in detail, and recognized he was wearing the SAME SHOES AS THE POLICEMEN.

This was a great thread posted here before you started posting, so I don't know if you got here in time to see it, along with the photos, and the links. It was stupendous.

That triggered a general conversation about provocateurs, in general, and I can't remember where else they've been clearly identified, but one town for sure was Seattle when they tried to merge with real demonstrators at an international finance summit of some kind, like the G-8 meeting, etc.

Here's a tiny reference to these guys from Wikipedia:

Police infiltrationPolice and security services have infiltrated black blocs with undercover officers. Since all members conceal their identities, it is harder to recognize infiltrators. Allegations first surfaced after several demonstrations. At the 2001 G8 summit in Genoa, amongst the many complaints about the police <16> there was mention of video footage in which "men in black were seen getting out of police vans near protest marches."<17> In August 2007, Quebec police admitted that "their officers disguised themselves as demonstrators." On these occasions, some were identified by genuine protesters because of their police-issue footwear.<18><19>

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_bloc

~~~~~
It could be police, national police, etc. have been doing this far longer, and people are just starting to find out about it due to word of mouth, and more portable video equipment. If you ask "who benefits," it's easy to see a government agency could use the provocateurs to mold perception AGAINST protesters, trying to portray them as criminals, in order to mold public perception that protest is connected with criminality, and dangerous, and likely to get you in trouble, and to also make the weak minded more likely to support cause being protested.

~~~~~
Just found a link to this story:
gatorboy (1000+ posts) Mon Aug-27-07 10:42 AM
Original message
Police admit agents posed as protesters; One carries large rock to protest.
http://www.thestar.com/News/article/249429

MONTREAL–With the proof caught on video, Quebec provincial police were forced to admit yesterday that three undercover agents were playing the part of protesters at this week's international summit in Montebello, Que.

But the Quebec police force denied they were attempting to provoke protesters into violence. Rather, they said the three were planted in the crowd to locate any protesters who were not peacefully demonstrating. Police said the trio's cover was blown when they refused to toss any objects.

"At no time did the Quebec provincial police officers act as agents provocateurs or commit criminal acts. Also, it is not part of the policy of the police force nor is it part of its strategy to act in this manner. At all times, the officers responded to their mandate to maintain law and order," the Sûreté du Québec said in a news release last night.

The police said after viewing a video clip from YouTube.com and video shot by police officers, they were able to confirm the three were Quebec provincial police officers.

<snip>

The three officers, sporting bandannas, showed up on the front lines of a protest at the summit. One carried a large rock.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=389&topic_id=1671292

~~~~~
Greyskye (1000+ posts) Thu Aug-23-07 08:22 PM
Original message
Canadian agents provocateurs: Catch 22
Edited on Thu Aug-23-07 08:25 PM by Greyskye
OK, so we have this:



The identical shoes have been discussed exhaustively in other threads. Hopefully we will get some kind of resolution as to the veracity of this theory at some point.

And we have this statement from the Canadian Police:

"In no time did the police of the Sûreté du Québec act as instigators or commit criminal acts," the news release states in French.



If this photo indeed shows one of the faux protesters, and they did not "commit criminal acts", then WHY WERE THEY BEING ARRESTED?

They are screwn no matter which way they try to jump. False arrest and detainment if the faux protesters did nothing. Instigating violence or committing criminal acts if they did. Catch 22, dudes.

(edit for adding emphasis)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=389&topic_id=1651063

~~~~~
There are other threads, but these cover it very well.

That photo is priceless!

~~~
In a country with something like the Pincohet era, and DINA still so close in time, it doesn't seem hard to imagine they STILL have a very heavy
interest in controling public opinion at whatever cost. All the fascists haven't died off, not by a long shot.