People have been talking about the Primera Linea since the very start of the popular uprising in Chile back in October. The young people who make up this group regularly clash with police during protests, often dressed up as superheroes from the Marvel universe. They say their aim is to protect the protesters, but some say their methods are too violent.



The Primera Linea are easy to identify amongst Chile’s protesters with their protective helmets, coloured scarves and handmade shields. They appear in many photos taken in Santiago’s Plaza Italia, which the protesters rebaptized Plaza de la Dignidad (Dignity Square).



The group doesn't have a leader and has come together throughout the course of the protests. Members of Primera Linea call themselves "revolutionary" and say their aim is to protect the protesters from police violence and allow them to exercise their right to protest safely. This is a real concern. More than 2,000 people have been injured by police since the start of the protests. Indeed, two weeks after the demonstrations began, Chilean President Sebastián Piñera declared that his country was "at war against a powerful, relentless enemy that doesn’t respect anyone or anything."



Videos of clashes between the Chilean police, nicknamed les carabineros, and Primera Linea have circulated online.

Épico #PrimeraLinea rescata a uno de los suyos! Como pataleaba el paco wn jajaja pic.twitter.com/qhhLKlonAK Leo Vieyra (@LeonardoAndrsA2) December 23, 2019

"Epic! Primera Linea rush to the aid of one of their members. He sure gives him a kick haha"

"Long live Primera Linea! Long live Chile!"

As the name, which means "front line" indicates, members of Primera Linea construct barricades out of rocks, pieces of sheet metal and tyres to prevent the police from reaching the protesters. Both men and women participate; the young men often go shirtless.



During confrontations with the police, they arm themselves with slingshots and batons and rip up bits of tarmac to throw. Sometimes they lob homemade molotov cocktails at the police. Some members, paradoxically known as "bombers", are tasked with defusing the tear gas canisters thrown the carabineros with a mixture of water and baking soda.





Cuando pensabas que en Chile no quedaban héroes. Los ladrones de cuello y corbata hacían lo que querían. Robaban hasta el agua. Y ponían a uno de los suyos en La Moneda. Pero los héroes estaban. Aparecieron cuándo más los necesitamos. Los héroes siempre están en la #PrimeraLinea pic.twitter.com/LeAnzKaf9M Andrés (@andres20ad) December 25, 2019

"When you thought there were no more heroes in Chile. The criminals in suits get away with whatever they want. They’d steal everything, right down to the water we drink. They managed to place one of their own in La Moneda [Editor’s note: The presidential palace]. But there are still heroes. They appear just when we need them most. Heroes are always on the front line."

Other photos show members of Primera Linea with green lasers, trying to temporarily blind members of the security forces a technique borrowed from Hong Kong protesters.

Tengo un TOC



No puedo evitar ponerle esta música a este tipo de videos con las espadas laser verdes de los JEDI de la primera línea#LaMarchaMasGrandeDeTodas pic.twitter.com/4t2BDuaUDt Gato Matapacos (@GatoDelPueblo) November 23, 2019

"I can’t stop myself from playing this song when I see videos like this showing the light sabres carried by the jedis who are members of Primera Linea."

On social media, some people refer to Primera Linea as superheroes, a concept reinforced by the tendency of group members to wear clothing or symbols referencing Captain America, Iron Man or Spider Man. On December 24, a video game featuring Primera Linea was launched.







"Drink your coffee in honour of these guys!"

"When I grow up, I’ll be a member of Primera Linea," this poster reads.