Student protests in Chile lead to violent clashes over proposed education cuts

Riot police in Chile clashed with student protesters in central Santiago on Thursday following demonstrations against expected cuts to public education funding under President Jose Antonio Kast’s proposed 2027 budget.

The mobilizations, organized by major student unions, brought thousands onto the streets just one day after Kast presented his administration's initial budget proposal.

The conservative leader, who took office in March on an austerity platform, pledged Wednesday to protect free higher education for more than 600,000 students, backing down from earlier discussions to restrict the program. But student leaders argue that broader funding for the sector remains severely at risk.

Demonstrators gathered at Plaza Italia before marching down La Alameda toward the La Moneda presidential palace. About 800 meters into the route, the Chilean national police blocked the march, firing water cannons and tear gas to disperse the crowd. Some protesters responded by hurling stones, bottles and wooden sticks.

In a press briefing following the unrest, the Undersecretary of the Interior confirmed that at least 17 people had been arrested.

Tensions flared near the main campus of the Pontifical Catholic University (UC) when a small group of masked protesters attacked a counter-demonstration held by pro-government student groups.

The conservative groups were displaying a banner saying "We do not want a paralyzed Chile; we want a Chile that prospers."

Hours later, before the press, President Kast swiftly condemned the violence directed at students aligned with his political movement.

While the government has not yet released the full text of the 2027 fiscal package, leaked details reported by local media reveal significant rollbacks in the Ministry of Education's draft, including reductions in direct funding for state universities.

As street dynamics heat up, student organizations signaled that further mobilizations will follow once the full budget bill enters Congress for debate.