Here are some interesting ways that Chileans protest against various things.

Even though Chileans tend to be very careful to come across as decent, “respectable” people, they don’t mind being a public nuisance as long as a lot of other folks are doing it too.

The Copa America soccer tournament is going on right now, and while the national team was training at a field in Santiago, a bunch of striking teachers appear to have pressured the soccer team to support their cause.

Hence, this photo (the sign says: “to recover the dignity of teaching”).

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Students, wanting free education, clog the streets in massive protests.

The protests are often violent.

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Encapuchados levantan barricadas durante disturbios producidos en una marcha de estudiantes y maestros contra el gobierno en Santiago, Chile, el martes 9 de agosto de 2011. s. (AP Photo/Sebastian Silva)

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A student protester throws up his arms in front of a riot police water cannon during a demonstration against the government, to demand changes in the public state education system in Santiago August 28, 2012. Chilean students have been protesting against what they say is profiteering in the state education system. REUTERS/Ivan Alvarado (CHILE - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST EDUCATION)

Yes, we actually do live in this city. This crazy stuff doesn’t happen in our part of town.  Sudoku did take those pictures though (just kidding).

Here is a school that’s been taken over by the students. This sign says “We’re not old enough to vote, but we are old enough to fight”. The chair legs sticking through the fence of a public school are seen occasionally around town.

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A lot of people on bicycles got inside the huge “Costanera Center” shopping mall and rode around inside.  I’m not sure why exactly they did it, but I think they wanted the city to be more bicycle-friendly.  (To us, Santiago is already very bicycle-friendly).

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Here’s another bicycle-related protest. “Correos de Chile”, the public mail service, uses bicycles to deliver mail.  Here’s a picture of the employees striking.

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The mini Walmart next door had a strike/protest. Early in the morning, a bunch of employees walked out the “back door” (truck entrance) behind the store. Then they walked around to the front and started making a racket with drums and horns. They stayed there all day, and the next day after that.

A few days ago at about 9:00 in the evening, we heard a rattling/drumming sound outside. We went out on our porch, and we could tell that it was coming from the neighboring condominium. Many of the residents were banging on pots or metal railing. It was a coordinated disturbance. Maybe they weren’t happy with their administration.