Government, anti-G20 groups fail to agree terms for protest

Officials from the Security Ministry and social movements and activists who plan to protest against the presence of G20 leaders this week failed to reach an agreement over the conditions of a planned march, scheduled to take place in the capital on Friday.

About 80 activist groups, including the global organisation Attac, will meet at the intersection of Avenida 9 de Julio and Avenida San Juan tomorrow to march on Congress, passing by the City’s famous Obelisk and down Avenida de Mayo.

The Security Ministry, however, has ruled the area surrounding the Obelisk will be entirely closed to the public due to its proximity to the Teatro Colón, the location where G20 leaders will gather on Friday night for a dinner gala, setting the scene for a potential showdown with security forces.

The Ministry’s Cabinet chief, Gerardo Milman, had proposed an alternative route leading to Avenida Entre Ríos, where security fences begin, via Avenida Independencia. Howevr, the officials representing the protesters refused the offer and underlined their intention to pass by the Obelisk.

The organisers of the march have accused the government of using subtle strategies of intimidation and taking measures aimed at hindering the protests and those who plan to attend, such as the temporary suspension of overground train-lines and the Subte underground system.

So far, officials have only committed not to obstruct the arrival of buses in permitted areas and to guarantee rapid access to hospitals in the event someone gets injured.