A Catholic church in Chile was attacked and ransacked as a student protest in Santiago proceeded to become increasingly violent. The protesters from the country's left-leaning student body also destroyed a three-meter Jesus statue and took other religious iconography.
Masked protesters entered the Gratitud Nacional church and left it in shambles. The church said that they will file a complaint against the student group.
The students are demanding "a free and equal education system," so that students could pursue a debt-free education.
The protests were one of the most violent in the recent years, and students started fires and threw Molotov cocktails at police, according to media reports.
About 150,000 students participated in the ongoing protest which is organized by the Student Confederation of Chile (Confech).
"What we have just seen there is a very disturbing symptom of what some people, some young, apparently are coming to perform in our country. I want to first express this concern and also the solidarity of the Government in this case for homeowners, the pastor of this place," said Chile's Interior Minister Mario Fernandez.
The student body says that President Michelle Bachelet had promised greater reforms in education, but failed to deliver them.
Confech has criticized the attack, and said that the attack on the church was uncalled for, and was carried out by a group which was not well-versed with the movement's principles.
Head of security and public order, General Aldo Vidal said that "investigations are underway to find those responsible for this crime."
