Today’s picket day was full of tension and chaos. The leftist organizations and the social movements enrolled in the Union of Workers of the Popular Economy (UTEP) They carried out about 500 cuts throughout the country against the economic and social policies of the Government of Javier Mileibut they did not achieve their main objective: to demonstrate in front of the presidential mansion of olives because the federal forces positioned themselves several blocks before and prevented this from happening.
This May 7 marked two milestones: the police of the province of Buenos Aires led the mobilization towards the presidential residence located in olivesin the Buenos Aires party of Vicente Lopez and avoided applying the anti-picketing protocol, to which the governor Axel Kicillof does not adhere. On the other hand, the federal forces acted for the first time in Buenos Aires territory so that the bulk of the march did not achieve its objective, reaching the Maipú Avenue to 2100, between Villate and Malaver. And they got it.
The picketer rally began at 10 in the morning. The head of the protest concentrated on Saavedra Bridgeon the province side of Buenos Airesto prevent the City Police apply the anti-picketing protocol, as it did on April 18, the date on which the protesters tried to march towards the Ministry of Human Capital located in Reedbed and Carlos Pellegrini.
At 11:15, a device Gendarmerieled by a hydrant truck, were stationed in Villate and the Maipú Avenuemeters from the presidential villa of Olivos. Five blocks before the Federal Police infantrythe motorized brigade, and a hydrant truck prevented the passage of the picketers that were cutting Maipu.
The police of the province of Buenos Airesin order of Axel Kicillofaccompanied the columns of the Union of Workers of the Popular Economy and the picketers led by Eduardo Belliboni of the Worker Poleand Silvia Saraviaof Free of the South. An incredible dialogue was recorded between the two with a police officer who identified himself as “theDeputy Commissioner Villar” the uniformed man who announced to them that they would not go from there.
Belliboni: “Sorry, I heard wrong or this is a militarized zone. What does the Federal Police do in the province of Buenos Aires? “This is not your territory.”
Villar: “We are here to protect Quinta de Olivos. I ask you to please vacate the avenue and go along the sidewalk. They are not going to go beyond this point.”
Saravia: “No one takes responsibility. We need a name of the official who will receive us. Or in the Ministry of Human Capital or in the Presidential Residence. But we want a name.”
Belliboni: “Having Milei’s dogs take care of us is not going to help us.”
Villar: “I am as far away as you are (about five blocks) from the place. I ask and inform them.”
Belliboni: “We hope so. We’re not moving from here. But don’t even bring us the names of the President’s four or five dogs.”
After the hilarious dialogue, the deputy commissioner of the Federal police, who acted as an improvised mediator, did not appear on the scene again. The picketers that they were cutting the area of Saavedra Bridgealways on the provincial side and in other parts of the suburbanlike in Quilmes, Hummock and The slaughter, among other districts, decided to abandon their own courts and march towards the presidential residence to “reinforce” the number of picketers in the place. The federal forces began to do the same.
The images prior to the brief initial confrontations between picketers and federal force, were contradictory. Or, more precisely, they marked two countries within one: on the one hand, the Tactical Unit for Immediate Operations (UTOI) of the police of the province of Buenos Aireswith a truck from that special group, marched in front of the picketers that advanced from Saavedra Bridge to the presidential estate of Olivos. He cleared the way for them to advance without setbacks.
At a certain moment, the cell phone and the motorcycles that accompanied it, let the men advance. militants and they got behind the march. In this way, the troops of Axel Kicillof Those guarding the march avoided being confronted by their federal counterparts who, less than 700 meters from the presidential residence, cut the width of the march. Maipú Avenue to prevent spinal advancement.
At 11:30, the protesters They began to light the covers, an act prohibited by the anti-picketing protocol. The police He advanced and activated the operation. The hydrant truck activated the water booster to put out the fire and begin to evacuate the Maipú Avenue. The tension was extreme because the protestersDespite the water, they did not move from the place.
At that time, 11:35, the protesters They tripled the number of federal forces. In the remaining 15 minutes, the special groups of gendarmerie. Simultaneously, from the Pink Housethis medium was informed that the President Javier Milei had arrived at Jorge Newbery Airport. He was returning from his trip to USAwhere he met, among others, with Elon Muskthe CEO of SpaceXand with and Gianni Infantino the president of the FIFA.
Their spokespersons reported that, despite the march around the residence, Milei would move to the presidential estate of Olivos. And so he did. For his part, Sandra Pettovellothe minister of Human capital She was meeting in an office “without a television,” that is, without observing what was happening outside. Or at least that’s what its officials conveyed. “The minister is not going to receive any leader picketer. Nobody formally asked for a meeting and even if they do today they will not receive them either. As always, they act in an extortionate manner.”
Exactly at 12:00, troops Gendarmerie and of the Federal police They advanced on the protesters that were on Maipú Avenue to evict them from the road and force them to march towards General Peace.
A few meters away, another group of troops, also on the same avenue, prevented the protesterswhich interrupted the trace of the Metrobusthey will carry out a sit-in to avoid being evicted.
The heads of the operations of the two federal forces, in charge of the Minister of Nation Security, Patricia Bullrichagreed to advance together: a force to the right and another to the left to “box in” the picketersforce them to vacate the avenue towards Federal capital. That’s what they did successfully.
In the middle of the maneuver a young woman began to convulse in an apparent seizure of epilepsy. Two ambulance They came the wrong way to assist her. With the woman on the floor cared for by health professionals, Eduardo Belliboni announced that They gave up on reaching the presidential electionbut they would expect to be received by some authority of the Ministry of Human Capital.
Minutes later, at 12:35, the social leadersthey resolved that the approximately five thousand picketers, they lose concentration. They had failed in their intention to reach the fifth of olive treesbut the logic of avoiding confrontation with the federal forces that they had the order to “act.”
federal police and gendarmes “accompanied” the deconcentration to prevent the protesters don’t come back Once again, the picketers They were not heard or received by national authorities and the claims, made with the usual methodology, did not affect the presidential agenda. Milei arrived at the residential estate of Olivos of his trip abroad, he met with ministers and Manuel Adornihe government spokespersonfrom the Pink Houseonce again had the centrality to say, once again that the federal administration of the Freedom Advances will not be “extorted” by picketers and the leaders of the popular economy. Conclusion: again, and due to the merit of the social leadership, Milei managed to capitalize in its favor on a protest that “without a doubt contained legitimate demands, such as food for the most needy sectors,” but carried out with a methodology that no longer seems to have acceptance among the rest of society. Perhaps it is the time when the social leaders, those who have plenty of intelligence and tools, develop other forms of claim. Anyway, today was one of the strongest images of the picketers against economic policies economic and social policies against the administration of Javier Milei.
The question is Who did it serve?
