Thousands March in Buenos Aires 'March of Anger' Against Milei's Austerity

Hundreds of demonstrators marched through downtown Buenos Aires on Saturday in the so-called "March of Anger," protesting President Javier Milei's economic policies and demanding higher wages, pensions and public spending.

The march was organised by left-wing political parties and brought together labour groups, students, retirees, human rights organisations, environmental groups and artists. Participants gathered near Congress before moving along Avenida de Mayo toward Plaza de Mayo, ending in front of the Casa Rosada, Argentina's presidential palace.

Authorities mounted a large security operation along the route after the government said it would enforce a protocol aimed at preventing protesters from blocking traffic. Footage showed retirees attempting to cross a police cordon as Buenos Aires City Police applied the anti-picket measures.

Organisers said more than 350 organisations joined the mobilisation alongside the Left Front-Unity. "The money going to the International Monetary Fund should go to people's needs," said Mercedes de Mendieta, a national deputy from the Left Front-Unity, adding that protesters would keep fighting against Milei.

The demonstration's demands included higher wages and pensions, protections against layoffs, increased funding for public health care and universities, and measures to address household debt. Its final document also called on Argentina's main labour federations to organise a national strike as a step toward a general strike, and demanded that the country sever ties with the International Monetary Fund.

Argentina's main labour confederations did not formally join Saturday's demonstration, though organisers sharply criticised their leaders and pressed them to call a new nationwide strike.

Artists and cultural workers also took part, saying government spending cuts have hurt their sector. Soprano Soledad Echeverría, singing with the social collective "A Cuerda," said culture was underfunded and that protesters were fighting to defend rights. Adriel Cusmay, an architect, said watching cultural life be pushed aside after studying in public institutions had left many feeling angry.

The march's name references "La Marcha de la Bronca," an Argentine protest song written by Miguel Cantilo and released by the folk-rock duo Pedro y Pablo in 1970. Similar demonstrations were held in dozens of cities across Argentina.

Milei has defended his government's fiscal and monetary policies as necessary to stabilise the economy, reduce inflation and maintain a balanced budget, and has said he does not intend to change course.