Protesters Clash in Buenos Aires Over Economic Measures

Argentina's riot police use water cannon and pepper spray to disperse protesters in Buenos Aires, as thousands of people demonstrate against the recent economic measures introduced by the government of President Javier Milei.

Eight people were arrested and at least half a dozen were injured during a demonstration by social organizations in Buenos Aires against the economic measures of Argentine President Javier Milei and demanding food for soup kitchens.

During the operation the police also received some stones from the protesters, City Security Minister Waldo Wolff told the press.

The government assures that it is looking for a way to assist those most in need directly and without intermediaries, but a transition system has not been established.

Around noon, the protesters blocked a section of 9 de Julio Avenue, the main artery in the center of Buenos Aires, until they were evicted with rubber bullets, tear gas and a water cannon truck by the police.

One of the first measures of the Milei government, which took office in December 2023, was the "anti-picket protocol", in reference to roadblocks as a protest measure, which prohibits protesters from blocking traffic.

The protest, called by the Union of Workers of the Popular Economy  and the Piquetera Unit, when hundreds of people gathered in the vicinity of the former Ministry of Social Development - an emblematic site of social claims - today Secretary of Children, Adolescents and Family.

Four months after the arrival of the new ultraliberal government, street demonstrations are a daily scene in Buenos Aires, at a time when the country is going through a severe economic crisis, with 276% annual inflation and nearly half of the population mired in poverty.

The protesters also denounce a wave of layoffs announced last week that affects 15,000 national administration workers.