Peru: Thousands Take to the Streets in Lima against the Dina Boluarte Government

Featured image: A petrol bomb hitting a Peruvian police officer. Source: AFP

On September 20 and 21, powerful protests erupted in Lima, the capital of Peru, where thousands of demonstrators expressed their rejection of the Dina Boluarte government. According to recent polls, “79% of Peruvians report feeling ashamed of the government and 85% of Congress”. Other surveys indicate that only 2 out of 100 Peruvians approve of Dina Boluarte’s government, with 0 out of 100 in the northern part of the country.

Thousands flooded the streets of Lima. The Peruvian government deployed thousands of police officers, with at least 5,000 National Police of Peru (PNP)’s officers on the scene. The PNP unleashed disproportionate violence on the protesters, using tear gas and firing pellets. The protesters resisted their attacks. Below, we share some photos and videos of the struggle:

Despite the massive police presence on the streets of Lima, the people took to the streets for a second day, defying the repressive forces:

So far, at least 30 people have been reported injured and six detained. The brutality of the police has been impossible to hide, as numerous local journalists have been injured by police attacks. The police insulted and sabotaged the work of many journalists, while others were directly shot with pellets, assaulted with batons, and forced to stop reporting and leave the scene. One journalist who was hit by up to three pellets—two in the back and one in the arm—explained, “It’s frustrating. There are no guarantees. The government represses because there is impunity.” Even healthcare personnel were assaulted with batons and pellets by the police.