Incidents and several detainees after the CGT concentration in Buenos Aires

Various incidents occurred this Wednesday in the center of Buenos Aires when police blocked traffic on some avenues and prevented the passage of hundreds of people who had participated in a rally called by the General Confederation of Labor (CGT) and other social organizations in front of the Supreme Court of Argentina to protest against the economic plans of the Government of Javier Milei.

A police officer was injured when he was hit by a city bus and six people were arrested, according to local media reports. The day had passed normally until the mobilization began to disperse, which managed to gather around 8,000 people.

The altercations began when dozens of riot police formed a cordon that crossed Corrientes and 9 de Julio avenues to prevent traffic from being interrupted by the massive flow of protesters and pedestrians crossing the street.

For ten days in Argentina, a protocol implemented by the Minister of Security, Patricia Bullrich, has been applied, which has been widely criticized and whose purpose is to avoid the blocking of public roads by picketing organizations.

In the midst of the tumult, a reporter from Argentine television channel Trece was hit from behind by an agent of the riot forces. The Ministry of Security of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires offered an apology to the media outlet, urging it to file a complaint with the Transparency Office of the City Police.

Three hours after the end of the rally called by labor unions and social organizations in front of the headquarters of the Supreme Court, which began at noon (3:00 p.m. GMT) this Wednesday, security personnel continued to be deployed in the downtown area of ​​Buenos Aires and remained traffic cut off.

Those attending the mobilization were protesting because they consider that the decree of necessity and urgency (DNU) sanctioned on December 20 by Milei is not “constitutional”, which is why, minutes before the mobilization began, the CGT presented an appeal for protection before the Supreme Court to suspend the points of the DNU referring to the labor reform.

Finally, the Argentine Justice dismissed the CGT’s appeal due to a formal ruling, but accepted that the union confederation could present it again on Friday, when the DNU is expected to come into force definitively (at the moment, it has only been signed by the president ).

The appeal filed by the CGT joins a dozen judicial protections that have already been filed against the decree, which contains more than 300 reforms of laws and regulations with which Milei intends to undertake the practical deregulation of the Argentine economy.

About 8,000 people attended today’s mobilization in the center of the capital, compared to the 3,000 who participated in the march carried out by social organizations and left-wing parties on December 20, which ended in front of the Casa Rosada.

Last week’s march, which was the first against the Milei Government, coincided with the 22nd anniversary of the economic, political and social crisis of December 2001 that caused the resignation of the radical president Fernando de la Rúa (1999-2001). and left 39 protesters dead.