The Left and the CGT called to stop on May 9 (Photos: Nicolás Stulberg)
One was massive, with all the mobilizing power of the unions, grouped in the different workers’ confederations. The other, less numerous march, organized by left-wing parties and social organizations, covered half of the Plaza de Mayo and ended up involved in tensions because the security forces wanted to speed up the deconcentration of the protesters. But in both, a common factor dominated: opposition to the policies applied by Javier Milei’s government towards the working class and support for the national strike planned for Thursday, May 9, the second against the libertarian administration.
Independencia Avenue was the backbone of the demonstration that was scheduled for 10 in the morning although it started quite late, almost an hour and a half later than planned. Although many people arrived early on their own, a significant number of school or long-distance buses were parked mainly on 9 de Julio, Paseo Colón, San Juan and Belgrano avenues. In this way, a large group arrived from Rosario, another from Mercedes and another with employees from Luz y Fuerza from Zárate who were opposed with t-shirts alluding to the possible closure of nuclear power plants.
Minister Guillermo Francos minimized the march for Labor Day this morning. When the Cegetista leadership arrived at that place they were greeted with the chant of “Strike, strike, strike, general strike.” (Adrián Escandar)
On the corner of Independence and Defense, the stage was set up with a giant screen included from which national music was heard at an exaggeratedly high volume starting at 8:30. The rallying legend “The Homeland is not for sale” and images of the shocking march in defense of universities and public education on April 23 stood out.
Every half hour, parts of the document prepared by the CGT leaders were read. A banner stood out that went from cordon to cordon while on Defense there were several posters against privatizations. “Marcos Galperin, state planner” could be read in one, in reference to the creator of Mercado Libre and the tax exemptions that company receives. Further back there was another that asked for the continuity of Radio Nacional throughout the country and finally one against the transfer to private hands of Aerolíneas Argentinas.
Demonstrations in Argentina for Worker’s Day against Milei’s “adjustment.” EFE/ Juan Ignacio Roncoroni The leaders of unionism were marching for Workers’ Day. (Franco Fafasuli)
The organization of each column was impeccable at first. Because each union concentrated on a different corner of the streets that cross Independencia, and that order was strictly respected. Until the main leaders of the workers’ union arrived and the pushing and shoving began and a noticeable lack of order to move forward. Everything went haywire. That’s why it took several minutes to walk the two blocks to Paseo Colón at a slow pace. Among the attendees could be seen the former chancellor Felipe Solá, the Minister of Infrastructure of the province of Buenos Aires, Gabriel Katopodis, the mayor of Esteban Echeverría, Fernando Gray, and the national senator Mariano Recalde, among other figures of Justicialism.
Before starting the short walk, the entire Peronist liturgy appeared, which included singing the march that identifies them after singing the stanzas of the Argentine National Anthem a cappella. An older man, with a long white beard, held up his handmade sign in front of them. “Labour reform. Those who never believed and always fought are coming to take away our rights. It won’t happen,” he said.
The CGT and the Left held their demonstrations separately, but with similar slogans, “We are going to overthrow the Peluca law with pickets and a general strike,” was harangued among the protesters. (Franco Fafasuli)
On Paseo Colón, which at first was cut off halfway so that the Metrobus could circulate and which was later interrupted in its entirety, were the populated columns of the leftist parties, which according to the Polo Obrero leader, Eduardo Belliboni, were “like a dissident sector and to ask those who make up the CGT for greater action.”
When the Cegetista leadership arrived at that place they were greeted with the chant of “Strike, strike, strike, general strike”, a demand for greater harshness in light of the recent approval of the Bases Law in the Chamber of Deputies of Congress. The exchange of slogans with the rest of the protesters shouting “he who doesn’t jump voted for Milei” did not cause incidents, although a group from the UOCRA almost got into fistfights on one of the Metrobús sidewalks.
The marches for Workers’ Day, inside The common factor of the marches was the opposition to the policies applied by Javier Milei’s government towards the working class. (Adrián Escandar)
From a truck, three young girls harangued the people on the left with microphones. “We are going to overthrow the Peluca law with pickets and a general strike,” was heard, while Daer, Moyano and the rest of the union representatives had already headed towards the Azopardo headquarters at 700.
After 12:15 p.m., the deconcentration of the first mobilization towards Belgrano Avenue began. The column of the Workers’ Party began to head towards Plaza de Mayo. They were made to deviate from the original route and had to walk many more blocks than planned to reach the vicinity of the Cabildo where there was a security operation reinforced with Gendarmerie, water hydrant trucks and motorized police.
The CGT pressured the senators for the Bases Law: “We will visit them so that they do not vote for it” Two lines of the Federal Police prevented protesters from left-wing parties from moving along Diagonal Norte
“We have been commemorating Workers’ Day in the Plaza for 20 years and I have never seen such a repressive operation to intimidate us. We do not want to fall into the provocation of Minister (Patricia) Bullrich and the security forces. But they did everything possible to prevent us from doing so. They didn’t let us set up the box, they kidnapped a truck and forced us to deconcentrate quickly,” said the City Deputy of the Left Front, Gabriel Solano to Infobae. Meanwhile, an imposing cordon of Gendarmerie prevented them from passing through Avenida de Mayo towards 9 de Julio.
Every half hour, parts of the document prepared by the leaders of the CGTRubén “Pollo” Sobrero and the claim of the Left were read. (Alejandro Beltrame)
Even the two sidewalks were blocked by the compact line of gendarmes. This time the anti-picketing protocol was applied to the point of exaggeration.
This situation, which contrasted markedly with the discreet police presence observed at the CGT event, aborted plans to go to the Israeli Embassy three blocks from the Obelisk to support Palestinian actions in the Middle East. The passage was also blocked by Diagonal Norte by a double line of Federal Police troops, so the columns – which covered a little more than half of the Plaza – had to move along Diagonal Sur. On that journey, those who were further back, from the MST (Socialist Workers’ Movement), improvised another act that had to be interrupted by the advance of the Federal with motorcycles and fire-hydrant cars.
“General strike” and “Fight plan now!” were two of the main complaints for Labor Day. (Adrián Escandar)
The tension lasted for a few minutes until, through the mediation of national representative Myriam Bregman, the situation calmed down and everyone dispersed after shouting insults at the police officers.
