Noise, Flags, Bands,Dancers

Later today I join my tour group. On Sunday things don’t open (if at all) until the afternoon. So I had a lazy morning, and then went to wander around the area. Many streets are blocked, and bicyclists are zooming down all the blocked off streets - like happened in Quito when I was there.

But, after a while, I heard a lot of drums beating and some awful trumpet noises, so I went to investigate. It was coming from a major road that borders one side of the Santa Lucía Park. There was a ute loaded with drummers and a person yelling slogans and a bad trumpet player, and there was a banner across the entire road, with people walking along holding it up. And there were a few policemen standing about a block in front of the crowd. Ah, a demonstration, thought I.

However, there were bands, and large groups of people dancing in between the groups holding banners, as they went past. Maybe a procession, thought I.

Then they all stopped progressing (but the bands continued playing, and the dancers dancing. And I took some pictures.

And then I saw several armoured cars.

When I returned to my room I worked out that all the flags being flown were of indigenous groups in Chile, so perhaps they were demonstrating against their lot.