Demonstrators have started looting churches in Chile as the long-running protests continue.
Thousands of people had gathered near the site in Santiago's Plaza Italia that has been used for three weeks as the main site of the mass protests.
The crowd chanted, carried banners and waved Chilean national flags as others flashed the lights on their mobile phones.
But a short time later the protests escalated as a large group of hooded protestors dressed in black began to loot a church in the area known as La Asuncion.
They were photographed dragging church pews, statues of Jesus, religious canvasses and other iconography out through the doors of the historic building before setting much of it on fire.
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Smoke was also seen billowing from the nearby headquarters of Pedro de Valdivia University, although it is not known if the protestors had also ignited that blaze as authorities said they are still investigating the cause.
Many of the demonstrations over the past 22 days started out relatively peaceful but now it seems that they are becoming increasingly violent.
Rock-throwing demonstrators clashed with riot police a short time after the church was looted as the authorities responded with tear gas and water cannons.
The unrest began last month over a subway fare hike that prompted students to start jumping turnstiles in protest which gradually escalated and spread nationwide with a broad range of demands.
The demands included improvements in education, health care and a widely criticised pension system in one of Latin America's richest but most socially unequal countries.
A 17-year-old student, Ginette Perez, who joined the crowds who flooded the streets this week, said: 'We still haven't achieved anything, so we're going to keep protesting.'
Chile's president, Sebastian Pinera, announced measures earlier this week to increase security and toughen sanctions for vandalism following the long-running protests that have left at least 20 dead.
A further 2,500 people are estimated to have been injured in the protests which have also forced the cancellation of two major international summits in Santiago.
Mr Pinera is expected to reshuffle his cabinet and announce a raise in the minimum salary.
This article has been adapted from its original source.
