A riot police officer stands next to a burned vehicle during clashes with protesters taking part in a gathering commemorating the 52nd anniversary of the 1973 military coup, in Santiago, on September 7, 2025. (Credit: Rodrigo Arangua/AFP.)
At least 57 people were arrested during clashes with police Sunday in Santiago, Chile, during the annual march honoring the victims of Augusto Pinochet’s dictatorship (1973-1990), according to police.
The march took place a few days before the 52nd anniversary of the coup led by Augusto Pinochet on Sept. 11, 1973, which toppled the government of Socialist President Salvador Allende.
About 2,000 demonstrators gathered outside the presidential palace of La Moneda, in downtown Santiago, and then marched toward the General Cemetery, located about four kilometers to the north.
“After various incidents along the route, 57 people [including 11 teenagers] were arrested,” police said on social media, adding there were no reports of injuries.
Those arrested face charges including making and throwing incendiary devices, public order offenses, vandalism, and carrying bladed weapons.
Protesters threw rocks, flares and Molotov cocktails, while police responded with tear gas and water cannons.
Clashes between dozens of masked protesters and law enforcement officers occurred near La Moneda palace, at intersections, and near the cemetery.
“The country has no memory. We must create this memory, because ... denialism is deeply rooted,” Ana María Carreño, 68, told AFP during the march. Her father, Manuel Antonio, and brother, Iván Sergio, are still missing.
The dictatorship in Chile left about 3,200 people dead or missing.
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