On July 22, thousands of Peruvians hit the streets of the capital Lima to demand the resignation of de-facto president Dina Boluarte, the closure of the right-wing dominated Congress, new general elections, a constituent assembly to write a new constitution, and justice for victims of repression during protests between December 2022 and February 2023.
Saturday’s protest is part of renewed national efforts to intensify the struggle against the Boluarte government which began on July 19 with the “third takeover of Lima” mobilization. Dozens of delegations of Indigenous peoples, peasant communities, social organizations, and trade unions have traveled to Lima to participate in the protests which will continue across the country until July 28, Peruvian Independence Day.
On Saturday, protesters marched peacefully from Dos de Mayo Square to San Martín Square. When the demonstrators reached San Martín Square, the agents of the Peruvian National Police began to repress them violently. The police used an indiscriminate amount of tear gas to disperse the crowd. The officers forcibly removed people from the plaza, aggressively pushing men and women of all ages. They even attempted to pull off young protesters’ gas masks and safety glasses and to prevent the press from recording what was happening.
“The police have attacked us…But they won’t stop us. Only the people can put an end to this dictatorship,” said a woman from the Aymara Indigenous community, who was pushed by police officers at San Martín square.
From the Peoples Dispatch / Globetrotter News Service
