Stray dogs are protesters' best friends in Chile

[The Straight Story]

SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) — They don't have demands, but they're loyal to the cause and are always on the front lines of the fight. They run with protesters, lap up shots from water cannons, bark at police in riot gear and sometimes even bite officers.

Stray dogs are truly Man's Best Friend for thousands of students and workers who demonstrate and clash with police nearly every day to press demands for education improvements, redistribution of Chile's wealth and environmental protections. As the protests become fixtures in this modernizing capital, normally unnoticed street dogs have become stars in their own right, with the Facebook fan pages and fawning media coverage to prove it.

"Blacky," a mutt adopted by young protesters, has become the most visible mascot, with rival fan pages totaling more than 7,000 subscribers or "likes." Blacky's admirers constantly upload pictures of him, many showing the mutt with a checkered kaffiyeh around his neck symbolizing the Palestinian resistance movement, dodging tear gas or growling at baton-wielding officers.

"Dogs are super loyal. They stand with the people and I think they support the students," said Catalina Echenique, 17, who is planning to study psychiatry.

http://bigstory.ap.org/article/chilean-street-dogs-are-protesters-best-friends

[Comrade Grumpy]

1. Like the Greek riot dog. Canines with class consciousness. Gotta love it.