Argentina: Demonstrators associated with government, CGT union to protest in Buenos Aires Oct. 18 to mark Loyalty Day

Event

Activists associated with the General Confederation of Labor (Confederacion General de Trabajo, CGT) and other workers' unions will hold a mass demonstration Oct. 18 beginning 14:00 in downtown Buenos Aires. Demonstrators plan to gather at the intersection of Avenidas Independencia and Defensa in the San Telmo neighborhood before marching to the nearby Monument to Work, where the event will culminate. The rally is commemorating Loyalty Day (Dia de la Lealtad), an important day to the Peronist political movement.

CGT representatives stated that they expect attendance to reach or exceed 100,000 individuals, although this number could be an intentional exaggeration. Regardless, the event is expected to draw large numbers of participants, and transport disruptions in the San Telmo neighborhood are anticipated, particularly in the immediate vicinity of the event. Due to the event's size, there is the potential for clashes with security forces, although the current government has explicitly thrown its support behind the demonstration.

Context

The ruling Peronist "Everybody's Front" (Frente de Todos, FdT) has backed the event as part of marking Peronism's annual Loyalty Day. Although the government originally scheduled its own event Oct. 17 to mark the day, officials canceled those plans in order to more fully support the CGT's Oct. 18 demonstration. The FdT has been looking for ways to recoup its losses since the September primaries and restart its electoral campaign before midterm elections are held in November.

Advice

Avoid all demonstrations as a standard security precaution Oct. 18. Plan accordingly for localized transport disruptions along the march routes; allow extra time to reach destinations. Heed all directives from local authorities.