Yet another protest brought Buenos Aires city centre’s streets to a halt for the second time this week. It seems that new austerity measures are not being met kindly among the Argentine public and protests are becoming evermore commonplace. Not that they were rare to begin with.
Today, dozens of protesters belonging to numerous social organizations have interrupted traffic in Buenos Aires microcentro, moving down 9 de Julio. Demonstrations are also going on in other parts of the country, but on a smaller scale.
The campaigners, led by the Popular Front Darío Santillán and the Corriente Nacional, have explained in a statement that they are protesting against “austerity measures and steep increases in utility bills and food that especially affect the poorest parts of society — as far as the government’s concerned, there are no policies to deal with this situation.”
The protesters are demanding that the government declare a state of social emergency.
Ricardo Fernández, the Popular Front’s spokesperson, has said that the same demand was made by social movements in a meeting held last month between the organizations and Social Development Minister Carolina Stanley. But the Popular Front Darío Santillán was not invited.
According to Infobae, the march caused total standstill, progressing from Constitución toward the Ministry of Social Development (9 de Julio and Avenida Belgrano). There has been complete obstruction at intersections such as Lima and Garay, as well as significant congestion in surrounding streets.
Ahora, manifestantes altura B. de Irigoyen y San Juan. Continúa cerrado Hornos y Brasil / Lima y Garay. #transito
— BA Tránsito (@batransito) November 8, 2016
During the demonstration, the exclusive bus lanes on 9 de Julio were largely blocked.
Reclamo de organizaciones sociales: corte total en la avenida 9 de Julio, a la altura de Belgrano. Chequeá https://t.co/ffn37uvKMK pic.twitter.com/C6c9fB4SN6
— TN – Todo Noticias (@todonoticias) November 8, 2016
