The dome of the church in Asuncion falls down after being set on fire by protesters in Chile on Sunday. Photo: AFP

Two churches were torched as tens of thousands of demonstrators gathered Sunday in a central Santiago square to mark the anniversary of a protest movement that broke out in 2019 demanding greater equality in Chile.

The demonstration comes just a week before Chileans vote in a referendum on whether to replace the dictatorship-era constitution - one of the key demands when the protest movement began on October 18, 2019.

While the morning brought a largely festive atmosphere to the protests at Plaza Italia, there were several incidents of violence, looting and vandalism in the afternoon.

One church close to Plaza Italia was burnt to the ground as hooded protesters cheered, while a second place of worship was looted and also suffered fire damage.

Firefighters managed to get that blaze under control, though.

The small Church of the Assumption that was totally destroyed is known as the "artists' parish," according to local press.

AFP