Argentina: Protests Over Cristina Fernandez

Thousands of Argentines have been out in the streets of the capital, Buenos Aires, in the country's biggest anti-government protests for years.

The march against President Cristina Fernandez was in protest at rising inflation, crime and corruption and was organised on social media with people of all ages jamming the streets of the capital for nearly four hours.

Demonstrators filled the Plaza de Mayo in front of the pink presidential palace and also crowded into the square around the city's iconic obelisk chanting: "We're not afraid."

The protest was peaceful with generations of families gathering - from toddlers in pushchairs to grandparents in wheelchairs - as they marched through the centre of Buenos Aires until nearly midnight.

A pot-carrying boy holds up a poster that says Basta - enough!

People banged on pots, whistled and waved the Argentine flag. They held banners that read: "Stop the wave of Argentines killed by crime, enough with corruption and say no to the constitutional reform."

Ms Fernandez's critics are angry over the country's high inflation, violent crime and high-profile corruption, and many worry that the president will try to hold onto power by ending constitutional term limits.

"I came to protest everything that I don't like about this government and I don't like a single thing starting with (the president's) arrogance," said Marta Morosini, a 74-year-old retiree.

"They're killing policemen like dogs, and the president doesn't even open her mouth. This government is just a bunch of hooligans and corrupters."

Police officials said the crowd numbered at least 30,000, while some anti-Fernandez local media estimated hundreds of thousands turned out.

The protests hold deep symbolism for Argentines, who recall the country's economic debacle of a decade ago.

The "throw them all out" chants of that era's pot-banging marches forced presidents from office and left Argentina practically ungovernable until Ms Fernandez's late husband, Nestor Kirchner, assumed the presidency in 2003.

Argentines in Mexico City show their disapproval

Other demonstrations were held on plazas across Argentina, including in major cities like Cordoba, Mendoza and La Plata, while protesters massed outside Argentine embassies consulates, including Chile, Australia, Rome and Madrid.

"In Argentina, there's no separation of power and it cannot be considered a democracy," said Marcelo Gimenez, a 40-year-old from Buenos Aires who has been living in Spain for two years. 

"Cristina is not respecting the constitution. The presidency is not a blank check and she must govern for those who are for her and against her."

Crime is the biggest concern for many of her critics, with the media reporting increasingly bold robberies, in which armed bands tie up families until victims hand over the cash that many Argentines have kept at home since the government froze savings accounts and devalued the currency in 2002.

The vast majority of the crimes are never solved, while the death toll is rising.

Inflation also upsets many. The government's much-criticised index puts inflation at about 10% annually, but private economists say prices are rising about three times faster than that.

Property transactions have slowed to a standstill because of the difficulty in estimating future values, and unions that won 25% pay hikes only a few months ago are threatening to strike again unless the government comes up with more.

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