Front-line activists 'Primera Linea' protect Chile's protesters, but some criticize their methods
01/03/2020
Front-line activists 'Primera Linea' protect Chile's protesters, but some criticize their methods
People have been talking about the Primera Linea since the very start of the popular uprising in Chile back in October. The young people who make up this group regularly clash with police during protests, often dressed up as superheroes from the Marvel universe. They say their aim is to protect the protesters, but some say their methods are too violent.
The Primera Linea are easy to identify amongst Chile’s protesters with their protective helmets, coloured scarves and handmade shields. They appear in many photos taken in Santiago’s Plaza Italia, which the protesters rebaptized Plaza de la Dignidad (Dignity Square).
The group doesn't have a leader and has come together throughout the course of the protests. Members of Primera Linea call themselves "revolutionary" and say their aim is to protect the protesters from police violence and allow them to exercise their right to protest safely. This is a real concern. More than 2,000 people have been injured by police since the start of the protests. Indeed, two weeks after the demonstrations began, Chilean President Sebastián Piñera declared that his country was "at war against a powerful, relentless enemy that doesn’t respect anyone or anything."
Videos of clashes between the Chilean police, nicknamed les carabineros, and Primera Linea have circulated online.
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