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Sunday, Oct. 18, was not a day of worship in Chile’s capital city center.
Groups of hooded protesters entered two Catholic churches setting fire to the St. Francis Borgia Church, which is the parish of the Carabineros, Chile’s police force, and to the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Both churches are among the oldest in Santiago. Both were severely damaged, possibly beyond repair.
Television images showed masked protesters filming and cheering outside the building as the spire of the Church of the Assumption collapsed and crashed to the ground.
The scene even caught the attention of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who called it “Christphobia” on Twitter.
One protester posed inside of the burning church and shared the picture on social media with the caption: "The only church that illuminates is a burning church." (In Spanish: “La única iglesia que ilumina es la que arde.”) The account was created on Sunday, Oct. 18, leading some to believe it’s a bot account.
Continued below.
Why Chilean Protesters Set Fire To Churches
Groups of hooded protesters entered two Catholic churches setting fire to the St. Francis Borgia Church, which is the parish of the Carabineros, Chile’s police force, and to the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Both churches are among the oldest in Santiago. Both were severely damaged, possibly beyond repair.
Television images showed masked protesters filming and cheering outside the building as the spire of the Church of the Assumption collapsed and crashed to the ground.
The scene even caught the attention of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who called it “Christphobia” on Twitter.
One protester posed inside of the burning church and shared the picture on social media with the caption: "The only church that illuminates is a burning church." (In Spanish: “La única iglesia que ilumina es la que arde.”) The account was created on Sunday, Oct. 18, leading some to believe it’s a bot account.
Continued below.
Why Chilean Protesters Set Fire To Churches