Tens of thousands of people have joined anti-government marches around the country, with Argentines marching for “security, liberty, and justice”. The protests, known as cacerolazos, due to the tradition of banging pots and pans, began at 8pm in a number of cities.
The biggest demonstration took place in Buenos Aires, where marches started from different points around the capital, arriving at Plaza de Mayo and the Casa Rosada where numbers are said to have topped 200,000, according to unofficial figures.
Banners could be seen which included demands against “insecurity” and the possibility of President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner standing for re-election. There were also petitions for greater transparency in official statistics on things such as inflation, and the lifting of restrictions on access to dollars.
Protests also took place in the cities of Córdoba, Rosario, Mar del Plata, Bariloche, and Mendoza, among others.
The effort to mobilise Argentines into marching on 13th September began a number of weeks ago on social networks such as Facebook and Twitter.
There have been similar protests earlier this year. This time, it wasn’t only considerably bigger than anything seen in recent years, but it also reached neighborhoods that generally aren’t considered wealthy. For example, in the southern Once area, at best one lone pot had been heard – briefly – during the protests that happened in the last months. Tonight, when I left for Plaza de Mayo, the street was quite alive.
Furthermore, the provinces hadn’t played a major role in protests earlier this year. This time, pretty much the whole country took part.
– Werner