The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

4 December 2013, Avenida de Mayo, afternoon of protest by what I would call semi-homeless people of Buenos Aires.
A very well organized and orderly process march, albeit earsplitting and deafening, as they protesters set of fireworks between protest groups, and drum bands of more than a hundred people each kept banging their percussion instruments.
Reason for protest are the many 'villas' (slums) in Buenos Aires where people exist (one cannot call it live) in semi completed brick, corrugated iron or tarp hovels without much that could be called services, such as sanitation, water, sewage, electricity. Unsanitary, undignified, a subhuman existence for the residents, which hail from neighbouring countries, from the poorest of the poor in Argentina, and hundreds of unemployed. Crime is rife.

They may hail from the slums, but they were dressed in their very best, including traditional folkloric costume and ponchos

The protest, despite its serious message of urbanization for the slums, had almost a carnival atmosphere, with a few murga bands completing the protest march

The "Federales' had no more to do than control traffic from the blocked Avenida de Mayo and its feeder streets, and keep a general eye on things.

Not so benign today, 5 December 2013, where 'students' of the BA University were 'protesting' the election of a new rector.
The Congress, Seat of Government, in Buenos Aires was a war zone. Riot police was out in force to contain the assault of these 'students', which seemed more like a horde of vandals out to destroy than a group of citizens making themselves heard.
Protesters, mostly young males, appeared disguised, flags waving and yelling slogans. Many brought sledge hammers to bash and crack the pavement of the sidewalks and streets, to use the resulting rocks for ammunition by throwing them at police or shooting them with sling shots.
The protesters used their tools to uproot police security fences and decorative fences around their parliament building, and the whole beautiful Congress Plaza and streets and avenues around it took on a look of a mid eastern war scene.
When one of the protesters was interviewed as to the 'why' of that vandalism, and how it could improve the election process of a rector, there was not much of a logical or coherent response apart from a lot of sloganeering.

No mans land zone on Plaza Congresso

Meanwhile, the City of Cordoba is cleaning up after something that out-riots the famous Vancouver Stanley Cup riots.
Police refused to patrol the streets, in protest of wages which are around 2400 pesos a months, which after the last two years of inflation are worth in US dollars around 250 greenbacks. Although the official index people maintain that inflation is low and an individual can live on 6 pesos a day... it does get a bit challenging, when a small yogurt costs 8 pesos, and a bottle of water 7, and a kilo of bread 30 pesos.
What overshadowed the police 'lock-in' was the reaction of the general populace of Cordoba: anarchy ruled! Robberies, Break ins, sacking of stores, assault on private homes where some owners tried to barricade themselves in their bathrooms whilst the rest of the house was sacked and destroyed, setting fire to stores and factories.
Makes one wonder about the safety of Argentinians and the ability to a) act like human beings, and b) protecting themselves from their very neighbours.
Television coverage live, one could hear screaming, crying, calls for help and the general horror just kept on, with all and sundry taking advantage of anonymous opportunities to steal and destroy.

How to get food from here, after the clean up...
National Security pointed the finger at the Province of Cordoba, the Provincial Officials negotiated finally an agreement that brought Police to great applause by bystanders back into the streets of Cordoba to restore a semblance of order, and the Presidency keeps mum.

Before Police returned to street duty, many of the small business owners mounted their own civil defence, by sitting armed and ready to fight off rioters. Here a couple of Kiosk operators, ready with their shot gun.

And in the meantime, the empanadas keep baking....