Banks destroyed. Subway stations burned. Supermarkets looted and set afire, and pharmacies destroyed.

Chile, traditionally seen as one of Latin America’s most prosperous and stable nations, is in a state of turmoil.

It began on Friday with a fare increase of 4 cents for a subway ride in Santiago, the capital. Within days, violent protests were taking place around the country.

Even after the government backed down on the fare increase, the protests raged on. On Tuesday, protest marches filled the streets of Santiago. Schools remained shut. And many Chileans lined up to stockpile food.

Here are photos of the uprising so far.

With the police and military accused of using excessive force, public anger has turned against them. Above, soldiers looked on as demonstrators berated them. The protesters below were taking cover in Santiago.

This man needed medical treatment after he was hit by a rubber bullet.

The police have launched tear gas to quell the demonstrations. One protester launched a canister right back at them.

The sudden passions aroused by the protest have taken the country by surprise. Below, the scene in Plaza Baquedano in Santiago.

Poor and middle-class Chileans say they are fed up with the rising cost of utilities and stagnant wages. Center-left opposition legislators have been discussing a number of responses, among them caps on the price of medicines, electricity and water, and lowering the salaries of lawmakers and officials.

In the meantime, the protesters kept speaking out, like below, in Santiago.

Scenes of disruption were everywhere. The man below found a viewing place in a burned-out bus.

Protesters demanded to be heard. This man banged a pot to make sure he was.

Some protesters were confrontational, others less so. In Santiago, some took to their knees before riot police officers.

In a once-tranquil city reduced seemingly overnight to chaos, the protester below shouted angrily at the police in Santiago.

Reeling from the effects of tear gas, the protesters below stood before a photograph at a cultural center in the capital.

Pascale Bonnefoy contributed reporting from Santiago, Chile.

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