Anti-Government Protests Turn Violent on Opening Night of Chile Music Festival

Anti-government protests turned violent on the streets of Vina del Mar, Chile, on February 23, the opening night of a major music festival in the resort city.

Protesters damaged business and hotels, and vandalized vehicles, according to reports and first-hand accounts. Vero Tabasso, an Argentinian producer according to her profile, said that artists in town for the festival were hunkered town in the O’Higgins Hotel as police used tear gas in an effort to disperse the protests outside.

This video shows the protests progress through the evening. Cars are seen burning in the street near the O’Higgins Hotel, and security forces in riot gear fire projectiles from a bridge at unseen targets.

The disturbances were the latest in a months-long series of protests first triggered by a proposed transport fare hikes in October last year. Credit: Vero Tabasso via Storyful