Viva El Che!

While in BA I wandered into many a protests. Almost nightly one could see protests happening in Plaza de Mayo across from Casa Rosada. Although I couldn't grasp their intentions I did slip through the crowd and try to get in on the action (no stone throwing here, however).

I observed two kinds of protests while in BA: ones that were tolerable and almost nonchalant and ones that weren't. The protests that I meandered through were of the former. And, thank god cause while I was there I read that one young kid was killed the night before I arrived from a blow to the head during a more aggravated demonstration. This demonstration was a result of protest on a grain export tax -- an ongoing conflict between farmers and a new government policy. The farmers believe that the tax will make it more difficult for them to earn a living, but the government believes the higher taxes will help the poor of the nation. Such is politics. As a result the farmers began to blockade major highways preventing food and other resources from entering or exiting Buenos Aires and other parts of Argentina.

However, the protests that I was able to walk through were more tolerable and organized -- I was even able to snap some pictures. I asked one protester if I could have one of their flags and he told me that they needed them for the next event, and that he would see me there. The police and media outlets too seemed to be mingling with the protesters -- smoking cigarettes together and having a laugh. And, once the protest ended everyone disbanded quickly and left. If you had walked into the square 1 minute afterwards you never would've thought anything happened there. For example, I saw a taxi protest where hundreds of drivers parked their cars in the middle of the street and protested for about 30 minutes. Once they accomplished what they needed they got back in their cars, drove off and went back to work.

It was really interesting to see this all in action and something I wanted to get involved in. I wish all the disgruntled and restless Portenos good luck; give em hell, but please keep the death-toll to nil.