Violent Protests Ignite Prayer Movement in Chile

AP Images/Roberto Candia

Educational strikes in Chile may have lulled in violence, but they are far from over.

One article reports that 20 students from various high schools in Chile
are currently on a hunger strike, prepared to forgo their academic year
and their health for the cause.

Thousands of high school and university students have been demanding
radical changes to the educational system in Chile for the past several
months. Over the last two weeks, peaceful protests turned violent as
students attempted to takeover a TV station to broadcast their concerns,
lit fire to buildings and led police to bring tear gas into crowds to
quell protests. According to the BBC News, damages to public and private
property have now reached $2 million.

Crowds of up to 100,000 have stormed the streets of Santiago—crowds
including ordinary Chileans banging pots and pans in favor of the
students and against the government—to demand fairer education.

Many perceive the Chilean education system to favor rich students,
providing them access to elite, private education, while shunting poorer
students into under-funded state schools. The BBC reports that the PISA
(Programme for International Student Assessment), which recently ranked
65 countries on various educational components, placed Chile at 64 out
of 65 countries for segregation across social classes in schools and
colleges.

Some are going as far as to call the Chilean educational discrepancy an
“educational apartheid.” Most agree that the system could use a reform,
especially since the system was mainly privatized under 17-year dictator
Augusto Pinochet and has remained the same since his 1990 office exit.

As Christian students survey the scene, however, many are not responding
with violence, but with prayer. About 30 students gathered in the Plaza
de Armas in Santiago last —and for the last several Fridays—to
praise God and pray for peace.

“These students are not protesting the educational system in Chile, like
so many of their peers have done in violent street demonstrations
across Chile,” explains International Mission Board reporter Wilson Hunter. “Instead, these Christian students are singing praises to God and bowing their heads in prayer.”

They’re praying for wisdom and direction for everyone involved, but they’re also praying for spiritual change.

“They’re praying for their universities and for government leaders.
They’re praying for the violent protests to end. But most of all,
they’re praying for their peers to come to Christ,” notes Hunger.
“‘Prayer is powerful,’ says the organizer of the student prayer
meetings. ‘Prayer is the way to find a solution to this problem.'”

Pray with these students for peace, and for the gospel to break in and
fill the hearts of all those involved. Pray for Christians students to
be bold in their proclamation of Christ.