This Wednesday was the 11th of September, which marks the 26th anniversary of the government coup carried out by Augusto Pinochet in 1973. This day 26 years ago marked the beginning of almost two decades of the dictatorship full with murders of innocent people, thousands disappeared, and blatant human rights abuses.
When I arrived to the university on September 11, 2019 I saw posters, flyers, photos of victims, and flowers that paid tribute to the lives lost during the dictatorship.
Memorial at my University
In the years following the end of the dictatorship, violent protests were very common on September 11th, and while not as violent today, there were protests all over the city. On my ride home from the university, the bus stopped at an intersection because a group of about 40 students were blocking the road and holding a political banner condemning the acts of terror that took place during the dictatorship. They blocked the intersection for what seemed like 20 minutes and proceeded to hit their hands on the bus. It was an interesting experience to witness students protesting.
Laying roses at the memorial of those disappeared during the dictatorship
During the rest of the week, I participated in Seminars on the following topics: Popular Education, Social Movements for Education Reform, Social Change, LGBTQ Education, and Education Market. Each seminar was a great way to learn about a different theme within education and it made me more excited to do my research project.
During the rest of the week I took part in las fiestas patrias… see week 5