Abstract

This paper is embedded in the Chilean demonstrations of October 2019, a series of massive protests and riots in different cities of the country that demanded political, economic, social, and cultural changes. Through a photographic recollection (298 photos) of the images (n=1211) displayed on the walls during the first two weeks of the mobilizations in Santiago de Chile, the centre of the demonstrations, and using the content analysis method, this paper aims to define the main themes that were represented in the popular demands and to examine the public participation in this context. The analysis shows that the main themes expressed through the visuals were the rejection of the Chilean political structure and the denunciation of the excessive use of public violence by the police. The ideas expressed can be summarized in four groups: violence, politics, identities, and love. Moreover, in addition to the triggers of the protest, it develops the reproduction of already established signs, and the raise of new imaginaries linked to the popular discourses. Finally, this study shows the role of the visual expressions that, regardless of their quality, contribute to the construction of meaning through visuality in the political contingency.