The protests started earlier this week with high school students jumping subway turnstiles to oppose the second fare hike this year. However, on Friday night, demonstrators escalated by setting fire to multiple subway stations, banks, buses, and the headquarters of Enel, the country’s largest electricity provider. Looters also targeted supermarkets, stores, and pharmacies. One student was reportedly killed by police and another injured by rubber bullets during the protests, which shook one of Latin America’s wealthiest and most orderly cities. President Piñera declared a state of emergency, restricting citizens’ movement and assembly rights and giving the army control over internal security. Piñera justified the measure as necessary to restore order after chaos caused by protesters, whom he labeled as "criminals." The fare increase announcement on October 6 sparked anger, coming at a time of rising living costs for poor and middle-class families with stagnant wages. Isabel Mora, an 82-year-old retiree receiving a monthly pension of around $62, expressed frustration at the unfairness of current circumstances, with rising costs of transportation, electricity, gas, and low salaries. President Piñera had promised to address the increasing transportation costs, but protests erupted as rush hour fares rose to approximately $1.20. Demonstrations escalated as people began entering subway stations without paying, leading to clashes with police who used tear gas and violence to detain protesters. The subway system halted operations on multiple lines and eventually had to completely shut down the entire network by nighttime, leaving hundreds, if not thousands, of people stranded on the streets. Many individuals were unable to board crowded buses and had to walk for hours to reach their homes. Government officials labeled the protestors as "organized vandals" and "criminals" and declared their intention to enforce a law allowing for stricter penalties for crimes. Residents in the capital expressed their discontent by banging pots and pans throughout the city on Friday night. During the looting of supermarkets and the setting up of barricades, it seemed that the police had withdrawn to their stations. The demonstrations took place as Chile gets ready to hold two significant international conferences: an APEC summit in mid-November and the UN Climate Change Conference in December.