March Madness

Protests are a pastime in Buenos Aires and, at times, a job. I would not be surprised if some houses had a special pan in the house just for marches or blank placards in the closet available for the next grievance. This is not to make light of some of the serious problems that they are protesting. It's just that some of the impact of a protest is lost when they are an everyday occurence.

Walking through the city, it is not uncommon to stumble upon a protest. At first, we were intrigued and we would try to figure out the issue, but now our main concern is whether we can get past the protestors or if we have to take a detour. Although these are generally peaceful marches, I still find the sight of a cop in full riot gear a little disconcerting. I feel it is best to walk in the opposite direction of the police.

Our Spanish classes are at the Universidad de Buenos Aires, near many bank offices. It is prime protesting ground. On our walk to class, we often see that a march has already come and gone, evidenced by thousands of fliers littering the streets. I wonder how this could have already happened and be over, it's as if they spontaneously start and end just as quickly.

Friday, May 1 was a labor day holiday in Argentina. The day before, we had class and transit was a mess. Protests were blocking the streets. My teacher explained that many people protest on Thursday and then relax on the actual holiday. One of the guys in my class asked if there was a day that there wasn't protests in Buenos Aires. My teacher cocked her head to the side, thoughtfully paused and said, "Monday. Usually, they don't march on Monday. "

The other day a larger and more disruptive than usual manifestation was held. They were setting off fireworks, leaflet bombs, and smoke flares. Class continued as loud crackles and bangs came from outside. After class, we saw workers trying to clean spray paint off bank buildings. This was clearly not par for the course as we saw businessmen standing around in the streets surprised by the grafitti.


A march does not necessarily mean those people are passionate about their cause and took to the streets. My teacher also told our class that it is a profession for some. Political parties or businesses can pay picketers to make it appear that an issue or candidate has support.