Buenos Aires — Argentina President Mauricio Macri’s first speech in front of the Legislative Assembly was met with jeers and protests due to the widespread changes in personnel implemented by the government in recent months.
The protesters, which included bankers who had agreed to go on strike for the day, clashed with the dozens of Macri supporters who had gathered to support the new president.
The day was filled with tension, and several units from the federal and state police forces were deployed to halt the advance of the protesters using force.
Some of the fences that had been installed along the Avenida de Mayo, which joins the Congress with the Plaza de Mayo, were broken by the protesters following Macri’s speech.
The high police presence is part of the government’s new protocol to control popular demonstrations and prevent streets and highways from being blocked.
This policy has been rejected by human rights organizations because they criminalize social protest despite the fact that it is a constitutional right.
