Listening to First-Time Protesters. The Multiple Meanings of the Chilean Revolt

• In Event: New Perspectives on Protest: Ordinary Citizens in Extraordinary Movements

Abstract

The Chilean revolt that began in October 2019 shares many traits with other expressions of contentious politics around the world the very same year. In spìte of its unheard massiveness and scope, a myriad social conflicts notably since 2011, displayed new repertoires of protest involving an increasing number of people so far alienated from political activity.

In the last decade, the consensus about the model of development which seemed deeply rooted in Chilean society for the last two decades was suddenly altered by multi-stranded conflicts, covering different territories and showing new repertoires of collective action. As long as institutions could not process these demands, the breakdown of social and political consensus led to an irritated political climate, making street demonstrations the main channel to express discrepancy. By the end of 2019, the conflict acquired a dynamics that is still deepening the breakdown of the institutional system.

Many aspects of this contention process as well as their combination challenge the conventional wisdom about how protests come about to occur. First, the massive involvement of people in a context of a dramatic decrease in voting turnout indicates that for many people these riots inaugurate their political engagement. Next, there is no signal of centrality: there is no hierarchy or articulation among innumerable social demands, neither an accepted leadership or spokesperson. By contrast with traditional rallies people do not gather to hear discourses nor they belong to political or interest associations. So meetings occur with the conspicuous absence of political groups, with participants carrying their own hand-made signs containing specific demands, native peoples' flags, artistic performances --remarkably LasTesis' A Rapist in your Path--, clashes with the police and also a "let's party!" ambiance.

We shall present results of an original study of first-time participants in protests. We intend to establish the meaning of the protest for people with scant previous political involvement and representing social, demographic and economic diversity. Protesters were invited to a discussion group about the protests where they exposed their experience, had a dialogue with policy-makers and political leaders. Researchers registered and analyzed the discussion to establish an interpretation which was then validated by the same group. Our research group has been wondering whether this somehow individual and experiential involvement in political contention has evolved into a common story about their experience within a system of multiple inequalities. To a large extent this process also challenges the scope of political participation. What is the outcome of the interplay between manifestations, deliberation and social media networks?

Authors

• Nicolás Angelcos

• Vicente Espinoza, Universidad de Santiago

• Carolina Aguilera, Universidad Católica

• Francisca Gutiérrez, Universidad Alberto Hurtado