Your humble scribe is down right now with yet another of her myriad gut bugs, but know what makes her feel even more sick? Try something like this:
Yup, you saw what you think you saw–a bunch of cowpokes roping a teenage girl and dragging her to the ground.According to BoingBoing, the girl was protesting against cruelty to animals. They linked this story in El Mercurio:Translation mine.It’s worth noting that this nasty incident went down at the National Stadium in Santiago–the same infamous site where thousands of Chileans were held prisoner and tortured by Pinochet’s putschists, and hundreds of them executed. Many of the victims were peaceful protesters against fascism–and cruelty in general.Nice to see that the place hasn’t really changed all that much since then, eh?A woman who protested against the ill-treatment of animals in the ring at the National Stadium was roped last weekend by riders participating in a rodeo, and dragged out of the ring.The pictures were taken by Paulina Alarcón, a member of the audience at the rodeo, which took place on September 19. They were broadcast today by Chilevisión.The incident took place after a group of people interrupted the activity. They came down from the stands and entered the ring.The 16-year-old, named Constanza, told the TV station that the experience was one of the most traumatic of her life, since she was “brutally attacked” due to a peaceful protest.“I was really shaken up, my whole back hurt, because they hit me with leather whips. My feet hurt, I have a sprain, and the arm they roped was badly swollen,” she said.Alfonso Rivas, director of the entity organizing the event, the Chilean Rodeo Federation, expressed regret, but at the same time justified the actions of the cowboys. “There was some reason for the reaction. It’s lamentable, on both sides,” said the director. The Rodeo Federation has begun an investigation into the incident.
I was gonna say ’til you beat me to it that, “What the Hell do you expect when you elect one of Pinochet’s right-hand thugs as “President”. Don’t worry. It won’t last long. Those School of the Americas (in Fort Benning, GA USA where they are taught all those nasty things that they do to anyone who sticks his/her head up to ask Why?) graduates will make sure that they stomp out that democratic republic shit once and for all this time.
Yep…as Ricardo Cien says, Chile has nothing to celebrate after 200 years. It’s still the oligarchy and the fascists running the show, and this bit of brutality at the rodeo is just par for the course. The comments at BoingBoing came down mostly on the side of the cowboys. Doesn’t surprise me either, since they like imperialism there. When a fascist Venezuelan oppo kvetched about oppression, they believed him. Saps.
While one can question the wisdom of the act, the context was very appropriate, and this action showed a good deal of courage.
What humans do to other species is horrific, and this young woman made a statement of rejection in a very visceral way.
She had to have figured that being roped and derided by the crowd would be a possible consequence of this action. And it was probably worth it given the national exposure.
As you point out, the context also includes the deplorable history of this venue.
I am sure that many Chileans caught the various nuances.
Bravo to these activists.