An estimated one million people clogged the streets of the Chilean capital on Friday as the government grapples to contain a week of deadly unrest over economic inequality.

Protesters congregated on wide avenues in Santiago as they marched to the capital's central square to join what has been dubbed "the biggest march in Chile" against the government of President Sebastian Pinera. Earlier, truck drivers and some public transport workers went went on strike around Santiago.

"Chile lives a historic day today. The Santiago metropolitan region is the protagonist of a peaceful march of about 1 million people who represent the dream of a new Chile," Mayor Karla Rubilar said in a message on Twitter.

Read more: South America's protests fueled by 'extreme' social inequality

In the port city of Valparaiso, the National Congress was evacuated as protesters clashed with police. Thousands more rallied nationwide in the South American country of 18 million.

Chile's deadly protests — in pictures Violent reaction Protesters seek cover from riot police wielding a baton. The latest protest followed a short break in the wave of demonstrations in which several people have died, forcing the cancellation of two upcoming international summits.

Chile's deadly protests — in pictures Third week of protests In this image, a man is dressed as the the movie character "The Joker" while brandishing a Mapuche indigenous flag. Many Chileans were on a long holiday weekend and the latest protest was relatively small compared to previous efforts.

Chile's deadly protests — in pictures Women join forces for peaceful march Dressed in black, marching silently and raising one fist, around a thousand women have demanded justice for those killed during the civil unrest in Chile. Their march started off a day of demonstrations on a long weekend in the Latin American country, expanding later as tens of thousands answered social media calls to match previous protests that attracted more than a million people.

Chile's deadly protests — in pictures A national protest The sight of soldiers on the streets is unsettling for many citizens of a country still haunted by memories of military rule under dictator Augusto Pinochet. Armored personnel carriers drove slowly through the streets deploying heavily-armed troops as violence worsened in the capital, Santiago, and across the country. Here, one demonstrator waves a Chilean flag as the troops spread out.

Chile's deadly protests — in pictures Hundreds of arrests Although Chile is one of South America's wealthiest economies, resentment has been rising over increased living costs and the shortcomings of public services. With Santiago engulfed in rioting over several days, security forces and protesters clashed repeatedly.

Chile's deadly protests — in pictures Widening wealth gap The protests began over a planned hike in transport fares last week, but have turned into a movement against Chile's economic model of creeping privatization, low wages and growing inequality.

Chile's deadly protests — in pictures State of emergency Metro stations, buses and businesses were set ablaze as the protests began to turn violent. Soldiers were deployed on the capital's streets for the first time since the military dictatorship ended in 1990, and a state of emergency was imposed. Curfews were also put in place in several other Chilean cities.

Chile's deadly protests — in pictures Cloud of violence Although President Sebastian Pinera canceled the planned hike in subway fares, the violence has only worsened, leading to nearly a dozen deaths. Tear gas has been used against the protesters, and the army confirmed it had shot people dead while chasing looters. Meanwhile, at least three people died when supermarkets were set on fire.

Chile's deadly protests — in pictures Asking for the impossible? This demonstrator is holding a sign that reads "Let's be realistic, let's ask for the impossible." After meeting with heads of the legislature and judicial system, President Pinera has pledged to seek "solutions" to "reduce excessive inequalities" in the country. Protesters, however, don't appear to placated.

Chile's deadly protests — in pictures Military advance A demonstrator gestures as Chilean soldiers advance carrying their weapons, during a protest against the country's state economic model in Santiago. According to the Gini index, the most widely used international measure of inequality - for which the higher the number, the greater the inequality - Chile ranks as the most unequal country among a group of 30 of the world's wealthiest nations. Author: Richard Connor



"The massive, joyful and peaceful march today, where Chileans asked for a fairer and more supportive Chile, opens the road for the future and hope," Pinera said in a tweet on Friday evening. "We have all heard the message. We have all changed. With unity and help from God, we will walk the path to a Chile better for everyone."

At least 19 people have died in a week of protests across the country that spurred the government to declare a state of emergency and implement curfews after rioters torched metro stations and destroyed property. Hundreds of people have been injured and more than 7,000 arrested in the unrest that has brought soldiers onto the streets.

The turmoil was triggered by a small increase in metro fairs in the capital but have morphed into a broader show of discontent with inequality in one of Latin America's richest countries.

Pinera's government has struggled to contain a largely leaderless swelling of anger despite announcing concessions earlier this week. They include an increase in the minimum wage and the lowest state pensions, rolling back the metro fare hike and putting on hold a planned spike in electricity prices.

Read more: What's behind wealthy Chile's deadly protests?

Watch video 02:03 Share Protests in Chile Send Facebook google+ Whatsapp Tumblr linkedin stumble Digg reddit Newsvine Permalink https://p.dw.com/p/3RnuD Chile's president announced a series of reforms

Government out of touch with society?

In an interview with DW's Spanish service, Foreign Minister Teodoro Ribera sought to deflect blame for the social tensions away from the government.

"The causes are not located in the current government. They probably come from two, three or four governments before," he said.

He also defended the deployment of soldiers despite deaths blamed on security forces.

"Our concern is that human rights are effectively respected. This includes public order so that the public and private property is not destroyed," he said.

Pinera has been in office since last year, but served an earlier term as president from 2010 to 2014. He has an estimated net wealth of $2.8 billion (€2.5 billion), making him one of the richest people in Chile and a target of protesters.

Marta Lagos, the head of Latinobarometro, a non-profit survey group in Chile, told the Associated Press that the lack of leaders and a list of clear demands in the protest movement show the failure of unpopular political parties.

"There is a failure of the system of political parties in its ability to represent society," Lagos said.

She said protesters were likely to become more organized and that Pinera was unlikely to step down.

cw/aw (AFP, AP, Reuters)

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