Uneventful protest in Argentina ends in arrests and other incidents in adjacent areas

Uneventful protest in Argentina ends in arrests and other incidents in adjacent areas

Several people were arrested in downtown Buenos Aires on Wednesday after a demonstration in front of the main Courthouse in which the country’s unions and some social organizations demanded that President Javier Milei’s sweeping emergency decree (DNU) of last week be overturned by the judiciary through a declaration of unconstitutionality.

Thousands gathered in Lavalle Square to march against Milei’s economic reforms. After an uneventful rally, a police officer was injured when he was run over by a city bus on nearby Avenida Corrientes, while six people were arrested, according to local media.

Clashes erupted between departing demonstrators and riot police as the latter attempted to prevent traffic from being disrupted under Security Minister Patricia Bullrich’s new protocol for defending freedom of movement. In the process, a TV reporter was hit in the back by a riot police officer.

Milei’s Dec. 20 DNU calls for deregulation of the economy, including a labor reform that the unions opposed with chants of “la patria no se vende” (the fatherland is not for sale).

“We do not question the legitimacy of President Milei, but we want him to respect the separation of powers,” union leader Gerardo Martinez told reporters.

The decree limits the right to strike, modifies collective agreements and the severance pay system. It also redefines the working day while opening the door to the privatization of public companies, in addition to repealing consumer protection laws amid rampant inflation.

“There is another chapter that focuses on Congress,” Martinez also said. The DNU still needs congressional approval, but the process could take months. In the meantime, it will be considered valid nationwide legislation.