Protests against government policies took place in several cities in Argentina, where quarantine measures imposed by the coronavirus are still in place. Manifestations took place in the capital, as well as in Cordoba, Rosario and Tucumán.
In Buenos Aires, the largest rally took place at the Obelisk, where thousands of people gathered. Many protesters took part in the demonstration without leaving their cars, the column of which stretched for several blocks.
The rallies were also held in other parts of the city. Hundreds of people with Argentinean flags blocked one of the largest avenues in the city – Cabildo. Many of those gathered had kitchen utensils in their hands, which they knocked on. There was also support noise from windows all over the area.
Most of the posters of the demonstrators were dedicated to protests against the judicial reform that the Alberto Fernandez government wants to implement. In their view, changing the current system is beneficial to the former president and current vice president, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, who is involved in several criminal cases. Some protesters also spoke out against quarantine restrictions, which have been in force for 150 days, and asked for measures to combat crime.
The protests were timed to commemorate the memory day of General Jose de San Martin, the hero of the struggle for independence of the Spanish colonies in South America. The Argentine Government did not interfere with the demonstrations, but criticized the organizers, and the Minister of Health, Jinés González Garcia, called “calling a march in today’s conditions irresponsible”. The mayor of Buenos Aires, Oracio Larreta, of the opposition coalition “Together for Change”, refrained from supporting the demonstration. “We are in a difficult situation with a pandemic and we must avoid situations where people come together,” he said at a press conference.