Santiago school protest
© Ashoka Jegroo / The Santiago TimesFour high schools in Santiago where occupied by students Tuesday morning.
With the conclusion of Chile's presidential primaries, students begin high school occupations once more in nation's capital.

Students from four high schools in Santiago have once again captured their schools, after they were evicted by police last Thursday to allow the buildings to be used as polling booths for the primary presidential elections.

On Tuesday, students from Liceo Arturo Alessandri Palma, Liceo Carmela Carvajal, Liceo 7 and Liceo José Victorino Lastarria returned to continue their "tomas," or occupations, following the weekend's vote.

After achieving their goal of gaining press attention during primary elections, students continue to push their internal demands, which include improvements to infrastructure and increased student involvement in executive decisions, as well as their overarching demands of free, superior education and nationalization of the country's natural resources.

President Sebastián Piñera had ordered police to clear occupied high schools Thursday for the primary elections Sunday. In doing so, Carabineros detained 151 students.

Sixteen of those students attend Liceo Carmela Carvajal, an all-girls school which was in toma for more than six months during the height of the student movement in 2011.

Santiago school protest
© Ashoka Jegroo / The Santiago TimesStudent Matías Freundebuch inside the "toma" of Liceo José Victorino Lastarria.
Sofía Hurtado, student and spokeswoman for the school's toma, was one of those detained.

"The whole event was pretty violent and there was an enormous contingent of Carabineros for the amount of students," Hurtado told The Santiago Times. "There were only 16 of us students and over 150 Carabineros arrived at the scene - it was ridiculous, way too much."

Hurtado also spoke about mistreatment of students, stating that the Carabineros involved in the eviction were young and inexperienced.

"The eviction of the toma was poorly done," Hurtado said. "They took us by the neck and hit us, things that under law Carabineros cannot do."

All 16 girls were released from the Providencia police station following their arrest, and now await notification from the district attorney's office about what steps will be taken.

Santiago school protest
© Ashoka Jegroo / The Santiago TimesStudents skateboard on the steps of Liceo José Victorino Lastarria.
Despite President Piñera's criticism of the continued high school occupations and Santiago Mayor Carolina Tohá's efforts to initiate a dialogue with students, leaders remain persistent in their mobilization.

All four of the schools currently in toma vote weekly on the fate of their occupation and will continue with their efforts, even if it means spending their winter vacation in the schools.

"Last year we were in toma and had to make up our classes in January," Vicente Correa, member of the student center for Liceo Arturo Alessandri Palma, told The Santiago Times. "The same thing could happen now if the student body votes to continue the toma, but we understand very well the consequences of protesting in this way."

With over a dozen of the city's schools ceasing their tomas after Thursday's removal, those that continue to occupy remain diplomatic about their counterparts' decisions.

"Every high school has their own point of view and their own needs that they must discuss within their assembly," Patricio Mardones, student of Liceo Arturo Alessandri Palma, told The Santiago Times.

"For us, as a high school that's constantly mobilized and that has a strong conscience, it's very easy to return [to the occupations]," said Mardones.