Protests
Chileans like to us mass demonstrations to get their voices heard. It seems every week there is a new protest somewhere in Santiago, and for the most part the government just stays out of it and lets the people vent. While I would not recommend getting involved in the protest, it is interesting to such a mass use of this type of free speech. For example, just a week or two ago a group of school children barricaded themselves into their school demanding reforms to the education system. During the protests the students lived in the school which prevented the teachers from entering the school. While the students were living in the school they were dependent on the kindness of others to support them. What this meant was that the children needed food to be delivered by people on the outside, and for money to be donated so that they could buy food and other supplies to keep the protest alive. It was interesting to see the kindness of others supporting their cause, giving donations through the school's fence. It is hard to imagine anything like this happening in North America especially given the logistics of keeping many students feed over many days. Most of the protests do not escalate into violence, but you will see a strong police presence to make sure that things do not get out of hand. Of course, Chileans liberal use of protests could be a result of many years under Pinochet's rule. But whatever the motive, it is very interesting to see free speech so wildly used and embraced by the Chileans.